A man identified as Vem Miller, 49, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was arrested with a loaded gun at a security checkpoint on Saturday, near former President Trump’s Coachella rally, and has been charged with assassination attempts.
According to reports by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, the man was found with guns and fake press and VIP credentials in a black SUV just before 5 pm Saturday local time, when Trump was to mount the podium. He claimed to be a journalist and a VIP. However, the sheriff’s deputies assigned to Trump’s Coachella rally investigated him and found out he illegally possessed a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said in a statement that the suspect had multiple passports and that his vehicle was unregistered, ‘the unregistered vehicle indicates that Miller is affiliated with the sovereign citizen movement, which the FBI designates as “anti-government extremists,” Bianco said.
The incident, however, did not impact the Republican presidential candidate’s Coachella rally or the safety of its attendees, as everything was under control. Miller was taken to custody as soon as the alleged plans unfolded and later released on $5,000 bail. He was booked on firearms charges, awaiting further actions from the federal government, Bianco noted.
In a joint statement released by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Secret Service and FBI, they stated that they’re aware of the Coachella Trump rally arrest, which they said “did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger.” as the assassination attempt was built on mere speculation following antecedents.
Recall that the Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has had two assassination attempts amid the 2024 election campaign. The first one occurred at his Butler, Pennsylvania rally, which claimed the life of his supporter and left two others with various degrees of injuries. While the bullet struck the former president’s ear.
Sequel to that, another attempt on his life was uncovered by authorities, who said that the Secret Service agent intervened when they noticed the suspect at his West Palm Beach, Florida, golf course.
The Donald Trump campaign communications director, Steven Cheung, emailed a statement on Sunday stating that they were aware of the incident and thanked the law enforcement agencies for ensuring adequate security at the rally site and the safety of former President Donald Trump.
“We thank law enforcement for securing the rally site and helping ensure President Trump’s safety,” Cheung said.
