Washington: A man draped in an American flag jumped over the fence of the White House while President Barack Obama was inside with his family celebrating Thanksgiving, US media said.
He was quickly stopped by Secret Service agents yesterday after breaching a barricade and jumping over the fence on the North Lawn that was recently refitted with 18-centimeter spikes to make it harder to vault over, CNN said.
Secret Service officers had their guns drawn and were accompanied by K-9 units, according to two CNN photojournalists who saw the incident.
The intruder was carrying an envelope, wore a blue shirt and white pants, and was cloaked in an American flag, they said.
CNN said the man was at least the third person to scale a fence and make it on to White House property this year.
The Secret Service came under fierce scrutiny and its head resigned after a US war veteran climbed over the north fence and made it into the presidential mansion armed with a knife in September 2014.
He entered the front door of the White House and went through several rooms before being overpowered and arrested.