Indian national Sai Varshith Kandula, 20, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for attempting to attack the White House with a rented truck on May 22, 2023.

Kandula's goal was to overthrow the democratically elected US government and replace it with a dictatorship based on Nazi ideology, according to the US Department of Justice.

Kandula, originally from Chandanagar, Telangana, and a US permanent resident, pleaded guilty to willfully damaging US property. Along with his prison sentence, he was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release.

On May 22, 2023, Kandula flew from St Louis, Missouri, to Washington DC, arriving at Dulles International Airport in the afternoon. He rented a truck in the evening and drove to the White House. At around 9:35 pm, he crashed into the security barriers near the White House and President’s Park. After hitting the barriers, he reversed the truck, then drove forward and struck them again, disabling the vehicle.

Kandula then got out, removed a Nazi flag from his backpack, and waved it. He was arrested at the scene by US Park Police and Secret Service officers.

According to court documents, Kandula's aim was to gain access to the White House and seize political power.