WASHINGTON — Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possessing a loaded 12-gauge shotgun on the grounds of the U.S. Capitol and receiving child pornography, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced.
Camacho entered his plea before U.S. District Judge Amit P. Mehta to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm within the U.S. Capitol buildings or grounds and one count of receiving visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8, 2026.
According to court documents, Camacho parked a white Mercedes SUV on Maryland Avenue SE between First and Third streets on Feb. 17, 2026. About 12:07 p.m., he exited the vehicle and ran toward the Capitol carrying a firearm while wearing a tactical-style vest and camouflage clothing.
Camacho reached the steps on the western side of the Capitol, where a uniformed U.S. Capitol Police officer asked what he was carrying. Camacho produced the firearm, and the officer ordered him to stop and lie on the ground.
Officers recovered a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun loaded with seven rounds in the tube and one in the chamber. The safety was off. An additional 17 rounds were held in a carrier attached to the shotgun’s stock.
Camacho told officers he was there to speak with a member of Congress.
Officers retraced Camacho’s path to the SUV and found a fixed-blade knife on the ground about 40 feet from the vehicle. A search of the SUV led officers to Camacho’s cellphone.
A subsequent search of the phone uncovered child sexual abuse material. Investigators determined that Camacho had purchased the material and possessed dozens of images and more than 100 videos.
The U.S. Capitol Police and the FBI’s Washington Field Office investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan is prosecuting the case.
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