A man in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, fake passports, and extra ammunition was arrested at a security checkpoint just outside the site of former President Donald Trump's rally in California on Saturday night. However, the U.S. Secret Service stated in a joint release with the FBI and the Department of Justice that the Republican presidential candidate "was not in any danger."
During a news conference on Sunday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco identified the suspect as 49-year-old Vem Miller, a resident of Las Vegas. He was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, while driving an unregistered vehicle with a "homemade" license plate, the Associated Press reported.
Bianco noted that the driver claimed to be a journalist, but the deputies noticed that the interior of the vehicle was unkempt. A subsequent search of the suspect's vehicle revealed ammunition, weapons, multiple passports, and drivers licenses under different names.
The department said that the suspect was arrested on suspicion of possessing a high-capacity magazine and a loaded firearm. He was later released on $5,000 bail, according to the sheriff's office. The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, as per online records.
However, the suspect claimed to be "100% a Trump supporter" and denied any intention to harm the Republican presidential candidate, stating that he reported the guns to authorities at the checkpoint to enter the rally.
In the joint statement, officials said that the incident "did not impact the safety of" Trump or attendees of the event." The sheriff said that the former president had not arrived at the rally at the time of the arrest.
While Bianco did not talk about the suspect's motives or his frame of mind, he added that they "prevented something bad from happening, and it was irrelevant what that bad was going to be."
Miller was able to pass through the initial outer security perimeter but was stopped at the inner perimeter patrolled by the sheriff's department. Another security checkpoint closer to the rally site was manned by the Secret Service.
"The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger," according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office on Sunday.
"While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing," it added.
Following the incident, the Trump campaign on Sunday thanked law enforcement "for securing the rally site and helping ensure the safety of President Trump."
