Driver arrested outside White House after claiming to have a bomb

The third White House intruder this March was arrested late Saturday night, CNN reported, after claiming to have a bomb in his vehicle at a White House checkpoint. 

An "ongoing criminal investigation" is now underway in response to the incident, a Secret Service spokesman quoted in the Washington Post said, after security officials "declared [the intruder's] vehicle suspicious" and "increased their posture of readiness." 

The incident took place around 11:05 p.m. at a Secret Service checkpoint at 15th and E Street NW. The Post noted the outer perimeter entrance, which is a quarter mile away from the White House itself, does not offer immediate entrance to the White House grounds.

Surrounding streets were closed after the incident as bomb technicians descended on the scene, CNN noted, and re-opened about four hours later. The checkpoint remained blocked.

The checkpoint incident comes just hours after another intruder was arrested after jumping over a bicycle rack in front of the White House. The intruder, who did not have a weapon, was reportedly trying to deliver a document to the White House, though he did not even make it to the White House fence.

Earlier in March, a more successful intrusion attempt took place when a man was arrested after spending 16 minutes on White House grounds, which caused the Secret Service to raise the White House's security conditions. 

President Donald Trump was not at the White House at the time of Saturday night's incident, as he is currently spending the weekend in Florida at Mar-a-Lago.