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Representative Pete Sessions’ chief of staff (R-Texas) is facing a felony charge for allegedly bringing a firearm into the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Sessions’ chief of staff, Luis Angel Vega, is charged with carrying a handgun outside his home without a permit and unlawful conduct on Capitol grounds, according to court records obtained by USA TODAY.
According to court records, the incident occurred on the morning of Dec. 22, 2025, when a Capitol security guard found a black handgun and ammunition in Vega’s bag as he was being searched at a security checkpoint at the entrance to the House building.
Vega was instructed to lock the firearm in his car and return to re-search his bag, which officials said he did, according to the filing.
Mr. Sessions’ office and Mr. Vega’s attorney did not immediately respond to USA TODAY’s request for comment on June 5.
Vega admitted he did not have a license to carry a handgun, court documents state.
A week after the incident, U.S. Capitol Police interviewed Vega by phone, during which he told officers he did not have a license to carry a handgun, court records state. In the same interview, Vega told officers that he usually enters the House office with Sessions, who is referred to in court records as “Witness 1.”
Vega told officers that he usually went in with Sessions because Sessions’ representatives were exempt from security screening.
“The day of the crime was unusual in that Witness 1 entered the building separately from the defendant, and the defendant forgot that he had a pistol in his bag,” court records state.
Vega first appeared in court on June 5, according to online court records. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for June 10.
Fernando Cervantes Jr. is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Contact us at fernando.cervantes@usatodayco.com and follow us at X @fern_cerv_.
