Indian national Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, made global headlines after being sentenced to eight years in prison for attempting to attack the White House with a rented truck on May 22, 2023. The Department of Justice revealed that Kandula aimed to overthrow the US government and establish a dictatorship inspired by Nazi ideology.
Early life and background
Born in Chandanagar, India, Kandula was a lawful permanent resident of the United States with a green card.
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Before the incident, he lived in St. Louis, Missouri, and had meticulously planned the attack for weeks.
The attack on the White House
On May 22, 2023, Kandula flew from St. Louis to Washington, DC, on a one-way ticket. After landing at Dulles International Airport, he rented a truck at 6:30 pm, stopped for food and gas, and drove towards the White House.
At 9:35 pm, Kandula crashed the rented truck into barriers protecting the White House at the intersection of H Street and 16th Street, Northwest. The impact sent pedestrians scrambling. After reversing and striking the barriers a second time, the truck was disabled, leaking fluids and smoking.
Kandula then exited the vehicle, retrieved a Nazi Swastika flag from his backpack, and brandished it before being arrested by US Park Police and Secret Service officers.
Motive and ideology
According to the Department of Justice, Kandula intended to gain access to the White House to seize political power. He admitted to planning the assassination of the US President and others to achieve his goal of establishing a dictatorship.
“Kandula’s intent was to replace the democratically elected government with a dictatorship fueled by the ideology of Nazi Germany and for himself to be put in charge of the United States,” stated federal prosecutors.
Weeks of planning
Kandula meticulously prepared for the attack. On April 22, 2023, he requested 25 armed guards and an armored convoy from a Virginia-based security company. On May 4, he attempted to rent a large truck from multiple companies. Despite these efforts, his plans failed, leading him to rent a smaller U-Haul truck for the attack.
Sentencing and damage
In addition to the eight-year prison term, Kandula was ordered to serve three years of supervised release. His actions caused $4,322 in damage to the National Park Service, including repairs to barriers, spill cleanup, and disposal of fluids from the truck.
