Man arrested outside Trump rally in California had a gun and a fake passport

A man illegally in possession of a handgun and a loaded handgun was arrested at an intersection near a Donald Trump campaign rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday, police said.

The 49-year-old suspect, Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when police stopped him at a security checkpoint, who found two guns and a “large magazine”.

Miller was later arrested “without incident” and charged with possession of a loaded gun and a large-caliber magazine, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said.

The US Secret Service said Mr. Trump was “not in any danger” and added that the incident did not affect protection operations.

A local sheriff called the suspect a “lunatic” and his office added that the encounter did not affect the safety of Trump or those attending the rally.

Many questions remain unanswered.

While Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said it was impossible to speculate on what the suspect was thinking, he said he was “truly confident” that his officers prevented a third assassination.

He added that it may be difficult to prove this was the man’s intention.

A federal law enforcement official told CBS News there is no indication that an assassination was involved in this incident.

Federal authorities said they are still investigating the incident and it is up to them to pursue any further charges.

Mr. Bianco is an elected official and Republican who has previously expressed support for Trump. He also acted as a representative for Trump’s re-election campaign.

The incident – which occurred at 16:59 PDT (00:59 GMT) – an hour before Trump was scheduled to appear on stage – once again highlighted the tense security operation around him and the dangers dangers faced by the former president. There are more than three weeks left until the election.

It follows two high-profile assassination attempts on Trump earlier this year.

Mr. Miller was charged with two misdemeanor weapons offenses and released on $5,000 bail. No federal charges have been filed.

During a police press conference earlier on Sunday, Mr Bianco warned that he might not be able to “give all the information… because of what we are doing”.

The police chief added that as the suspect approached the outside area, near the site of the protest, he “gave every indication that he had permission to be there.”

But when the suspect entered the inner perimeter, “many irregularities appeared,” police chief Bianco added, explaining that the car had fake license plates and was “in disarray” inside.

Multiple passports with multiple names and multiple driver’s licenses were found in the car, the police chief said, adding that the license plate was “homemade” and unregistered.

He added that the suspect told authorities that he was a member of a far-right group called Sovereign Citizens.

He said the license plate also “indicates a group of individuals claiming to be Sovereign Citizens”, but he did not conclude that Mr Miller was a member.

“I wouldn’t say it was a militant group,” he said. It’s just a group that doesn’t believe in government and government control.” “They don’t believe that the government and the law apply to them.”

According to a statement from federal authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Secret Service and FBI are aware of the arrest.

“The US Secret Service assessed that the incident did not affect protection activities and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the statement said.

“While no federal arrests have been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing. The United States Attorney’s Office, the United States Secret Service and the FBI would like to thank the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s event.”

Security around Trump has been heavily enhanced following previous assassination accusations.

The Saturday before Mr. Miller’s arrest, Trump held his second campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania this year, the same place where his ear bled after a sniper fired multiple shots at him. , killing one person in the crowd.

Another man is now in jail after being arrested outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September. The man was found hiding in bushes near the golf course with the muzzle of a rifle sticking out out of the bushes.