A man illegally found in possession of loaded firearms was arrested by sheriff’s deputies assigned to protect a Donald Trump rally in Coachella, California, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office announced.
“While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing,” the organisation tasked with protecting presidents and presidential candidates said in a joint statement with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States States Attorney’s Office.
The Secret Service said that it was aware of the arrest and that neither Trump nor rally attendees had been in any danger during the incident, which took place on Saturday.
The 49-year-old man, identified as Las Vegas resident Vem Miller, was stopped in a black SUV by sheriff’s deputies around 5 p.m. local time on Saturday and taken into custody .
He was later released on bail and faces a court hearing on 2 January 2025. According to the sheriff’s office, Trump had not yet taken the stage.
The incident comes on the heels of two assassination attempts—one in Pennsylvania in which a bullet grazed Trump’s ear, and a second, aborted attempt at his Florida golf course.
This incident follows a string of previous threats against Trump. In July, he narrowly survived an assassination attempt when a bullet grazed his ear during a rally in Pennsylvania. Another man was charged in September after being found hiding with a rifle near Trump’s Palm Beach golf course.
Trump’s rally in California’s Coachella Valley, a region famous for its annual music festival, proceeded without disruption.
Written by Jennifer Amarachi
