America

Federal officials say Trump was not in danger after man arrested with illegal weapons near campaign rally in California

() –– Two federal officials told that there is no evidence at this time to indicate that the man who was arrested for carrying weapons near Donald Trump’s rally on Saturday in California was trying to attack the former president.

In a joint statement with the FBI and the Department of Justice, the US Secret Service said that “former President Trump was not in any danger” at the event.

The man, who authorities say illegally possessed a shotgun, a loaded pistol and a high-capacity magazine, was able to gain access to an initial perimeter near the Coachella rally, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Sunday.

Once the man, identified by the sheriff as Vem Miller, 49, of Las Vegas, reached the second perimeter, authorities became aware of some “irregularities,” Bianco said. The interior of the car was in disarray, the vehicle was unregistered and had a false license plate, Bianco confirmed.

According to Bianco, Miller had in his possession several driver’s licenses and passports under different names. It is unknown why Miller was in the area, according to Bianco, who said Miller claimed to be a journalist in order to gain entry to the event.

Miller was arrested before the Trump rally and charged with firearms offenses. He was later released on $5,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s office.

has repeatedly attempted to contact Miller for comment. He is expected to appear in court on Jan. 2, according to jail records.

“The United States Secret Service believes that the incident did not impact protective operations and that former President Trump was not in danger,” the agency’s joint statement with the FBI and the Department of Justice states. “While no federal arrests have been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing. “The Department of Justice, the United States Secret Service and the FBI extend their gratitude to the local agents and partners who helped ensure the security of last night’s events.”

The Trump campaign on Sunday thanked law enforcement officers “for protecting the rally site and helping ensure President Trump’s safety.”

“We are aware of the news about the arrest and are currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told .

‘s Josh Campbell and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.

Source link