A man in illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested at an intersection near former United States President, Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California. The incident which police said took place at 16:59 local time on Saturday (00:59 GMT on Sunday) highlights, once again, the intense security operation around Trump, and the dangers facing the former president, with just over three weeks to go until the presidential election.
The recent bust follows two high-profile assassination attempts on Trump earlier this year. The 49-year-old suspect, Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when he was stopped at a security checkpoint by deputies, who located the two firearms and a “high-capacity magazine”, ThePaan reported.
Miller was taken into custody “without incident”, the Riverside County Sheriff’s office said, and booked on possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine.
He was however later released. The US Secret Service said Trump “was not in any danger”, adding that the incident did not impact protective operations. Before his release on a $5,000 (£3,826) bail, Miller was charged with two misdemeanour weapons charges. No federal charges have been filed at the time of filing this report.
A local sheriff called the suspect a “lunatic” and his office added the encounter did not affect the safety of Trump or the rally’s attendees. While Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said it was impossible to speculate about what was in the mind of the suspect, he said he “truly believed” that his officers had prevented a third assassination attempt. He added that proving this was the man’s intent might be impossible.
A federal law enforcement official also told CBS News that there was no indication of an assassination attempt connected to this incident. Federal authorities said they were investigating the incident, and it would be up to them to pursue any additional charges.
Bianco who is an elected official and a Republican who has previously expressed support for Trump, is also acting as a surrogate – a representative – for Trump’s re-election campaign.
In a police news conference earlier on Sunday, Mr Bianco warned he might not be able to “give all of the information because of what we’re doing”. The sheriff added that as the suspect approached an outside perimeter, near the location of the rally, he “gave all indications that he was allowed to be there”.
But as the suspect got to the inside perimeter, “many irregularities popped up”, Bianco added, explaining that the vehicle had a fake license plate and was in “disarray” inside.
Multiple passports with different names and many driving licenses were found in the car, the sheriff said, adding that the license plate was “home-made” and not registered. He added that the suspect had told authorities he was a member of the far-right group called Sovereign Citizens.
He said the license plate was also “indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be Sovereign Citizens”, but he had not concluded that Miller was a member. “I wouldn’t say it’s a militant group. It’s just a group that doesn’t believe in government and government control,” he said. “They don’t believe that government and laws apply to them.”
The US Attorney’s Office, Secret Service, and FBI are aware of the arrest, according to a statement from federal authorities. “The US Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the statement said.
“While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing. The US Attorney’s Office, US Secret Service, and FBI extend their gratitude to the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s events.”
Security surrounding Trump has been heavily increased in the wake of previous alleged assassination attempts.
The Saturday before Miller’s arrest, Trump held his second rally in Butler, Pennsylvania this year, the same place where his ear was bloodied after a sniper fired multiple shots in his direction, killing one person in the crowd.
Another man is currently in jail after he was arrested outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September. The man was spotted hiding in bushes near the golf course with the muzzle of a rifle sticking out through the shrubbery.
