A routine bag check at a House office building has landed Rep. Pete Sessions' chief of staff, Luis Angel Vega, in criminal court after Capitol security officers say they found a pistol and ammunition in his bag late last year.
Court filings state that on Dec. 22, 2025, Vega sent his bag through a security screening at a Capitol complex office building, where officers spotted the weapon and ammunition. According to the documents, Vega later told officers he did not have a license to carry. He appeared in D.C. Superior Court on Friday and now faces two counts, including carrying a firearm onto Capitol grounds.
What the filings say
As reported by ABC17, the court paperwork describes Capitol security officers finding a black pistol and ammunition in Vega's bag during the Dec. 22 screening and directing him to secure the gun in his vehicle before coming back through for a second check.
The filings also say that about a week later, during a telephone interview with U.S. Capitol Police, Vega acknowledged he did not have a license to carry the firearm. What the documents do not spell out is why an arrest warrant was not issued until months after the incident or why formal charges were filed only this week.
Screening and Sessions' role
According to the filings, Vega typically entered the House office building alongside Rep. Pete Sessions, labeled "Witness-1" in the documents, who is exempt from walking through magnetometers at the checkpoint. On Dec. 22, however, the two arrived separately, triggering the extra scrutiny that led to the bag search.
As detailed by KEZI, officers later photographed Vega in handcuffs, and when he showed up in court, observers noted his white button-down shirt was untucked, an unusually casual look for a top congressional aide suddenly facing criminal charges.
Legal status and next steps
Vega has been charged with two counts: carrying a firearm outside his home without a license and carrying a firearm onto Capitol grounds, according to court filings reviewed by ABC17. A judge released him without setting bail, and his next hearing in D.C. Superior Court is scheduled for June 10.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia declined to comment on the decision to bring the case, and U.S. Capitol Police did not immediately respond to inquiries, according to the filings and related reporting.
Capitol security context
The case surfaces at a time of heightened scrutiny over security in and around the Capitol complex. Earlier this year, in February, an 18-year-old was arrested after running toward the Capitol with a loaded shotgun, according to reporting by ABC News. Incidents like that have renewed questions about how people and bags are screened, how patrols are deployed, and how staff and visitors are funneled into the maze of House and Senate office buildings.
KEZI reports that CNN has contacted Sessions' office for comment and that a lawyer for Vega has not yet been publicly identified. The case will proceed in D.C. Superior Court, where prosecutors are expected to lay out the next steps at the June hearing.
