Federal officials say Trump was not in danger after man arrested with illegal weapons near campaign rally in California
By Michelle Watson, Rashard Rose and Holmes Lybrand, CNN
(CNN) — A man was arrested on state gun charges Saturday near Donald Trump’s rally in California, but the former president “was not in any danger,” the US Secret Service said in a joint statement with the FBI and the Department of Justice.
The man, who authorities say was illegally possessing a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, was able to gain access to an initial perimeter near the rally in Coachella, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Sunday.
Once the man, identified by the sheriff as 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, made it to the second perimeter, authorities realized some “irregularities,” Bianco said. The interior of the car was in disarray, the vehicle was unregistered, and it had a fake license plate, according to Bianco.
Miller was in possession of multiple driver’s licenses and passports with different names, according to Bianco. It is unclear why Miller was in the area, according to Bianco, who said Miller claimed to be a journalist to gain entry to the rally.
Miller was taken into custody before Trump’s rally and charged with firearms offenses. He was later released on $5,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s office.
CNN has repeatedly tried to reach Miller for comment. He is expected to appear in court on January 2, according to jail records.
Miller denied any claims of attempting to harm Trump, telling Fox News Digital on Sunday that he reported the guns to authorities at the checkpoint to enter the rally and that he always travels with the weapons. He said he is “100% a Trump supporter.”
In a video posted to his Rumble account early Monday morning, Miller said Trump “has been near and dear to our hearts because he is one of the only individuals that I have seen have the courage to actually stand up to this tyranny I’ve seen against we the people.”
Two federal officials told CNN there is no evidence at this time to indicate that Miller was attempting to assassinate the former president.
The Secret Service, US Attorney’s Office and FBI said in their joint statement that “while no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing” and that the agencies “extend their gratitude to the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s events.”
The Trump campaign on Sunday thanked law enforcement “for securing the rally site and helping ensure the safety of President Trump.”
“We are aware of news reports about the arrest and are currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told CNN.
This story and headline have been updated.
CNN’s Josh Campbell and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.
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