WASHINGTON - A person carrying a suspicious package jumped a White House fence Sunday night and was arrested soon, the US Secret Service said Monday.

The person, who climbed the fence on the south side of the White House complex, is in custody and charges are pending, Brian Leary with the Secret Service told the CNN.

The package has been examined and was found out harmless. The person's name and gender were not released.

US officials said earlier that steel spikes may be temporarily added to the tips of the White House perimeter fence to defense jumpers.

Security at the executive mansion has been escalated since Omar Gonzalez, a 42-year old Army veteran, was able to successfully scale the fence and run inside the White House on Sept 19, 2014.

The Secret Service has installed a second, temporary fence on the sidewalk ringing of the White House, implemented new safety procedures, and begun locking the front door of the building.