The police arrested an armed man at a security checkpoint near a rally for Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, California.
The subject, 49-year-old Vem Miller, was driving a truck and carrying a shotgun, a loaded pistol, a high-capacity magazine, and a large amount of ammunition this Saturday.
Miller was in possession of several passports with different names, in addition to an unregistered vehicle with a false license plate and loaded firearms, said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco at a press conference this Sunday.
"I firmly believe that we have avoided another assassination attempt," Bianco added about Miller, who resides in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The incident did not compromise the safety of the former president or that of the attendees at the rally, the sheriff indicated.
According to prison records -cited by the news agency- the suspect was released on the same Saturday after paying a bail of 5,000 dollars.
He was charged with possession of a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine, both misdemeanors.
Although no other federal arrests have been made, the investigation is still ongoing.
Miller's statements
Vem Miller, identified as a Republican and with a master's degree from the University of California (UCLA), ran for the Nevada state assembly in 2022 and is known for his affiliation with a right-wing anti-government group.
In statements to Southern California News Group, Miller denied any intention to harm Trump, whom he says he supports.
"These accusations are complete nonsense," he stated.
"I am an artist, I am the last person who would cause violence," he added.
According to his statements, he bought the weapons for his personal protection after receiving death threats and denied having presented a fake press pass, stating that he only had a "special entry pass."
Vem Miller has a court date on January 2, 2025, at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, California.
This incident adds to other recent attempts against Trump, who in July was close to being assassinated during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a bullet grazed his ear. In that case, one of the attendees at the event died.
More recently, in September, another man was charged with attempting to assassinate Trump near his golf course in Palm Beach, being discovered by the Secret Service.
What do you think?
COMMENTFiled under:
