Secret Service says it arrested person with guns near White House on Sunday

The U.S. Secret Service arrested a person with firearms near the White House on Sunday morning, the agency said in a statement on Monday.

Uniformed Secret Service officers were approached by the person at an intersection close to the White House, the statement said.

"The encounter with the individual resulted in Secret Service Officers taking investigative action.  The individual was arrested for possession of several firearms," the statement said. No further details were provided by the Secret Service, which is the federal agency responsible for protecting top U.S. elected leaders, notably the president, and visiting foreign dignitaries.

A series of security breaches, including people jumping over the fence into the White House grounds, prompted to the Secret Service to close public access in April to a sidewalk along the south fence of the White House.

Security has been boosted, including the installation in 2015 of sharp spikes on top of the black iron fence that circles the 18-acre (7-hectare) property.

Unattended packages and other security concerns frequently prompt the Secret Service to put the White House on lockdown, but many of the incidents are false alarms.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu; Editing by Frances Kerry)