By Kellen Browning
On Saturday evening, a man was taken into custody and accused of illegal weapons possession while attempting to access former President Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, as reported by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday.
Authorities identified the individual as Vem Miller, 49, from Las Vegas, who was found to be unlawfully in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. Miller was later released on bail, according to data from the county’s inmate information system.
While driving toward the rally, Miller had made it through an outer security perimeter but was intercepted by law enforcement at a second layer of security prior to Trump’s arrival, Sheriff Chad Bianco stated at a news conference on Sunday.
In a unified statement, the U.S. attorney’s office, the Secret Service, and the FBI indicated that the Secret Service had concluded “the incident did not have an impact on protective measures, and former President Trump was not at risk.”
The statement also revealed that “no federal arrests have been made at this moment, but the investigation continues.”
Miller’s intentions remain unclear. Bianco suggested at a press briefing that this arrest may have prevented a potential third assassination attempt on Trump.
“If you’re asking me right now, I think we did have deputies who averted the third assassination attempt,” Bianco remarked, while conceding that “all we can do is speculate” about Miller’s motives.
Miller was released on $5,000 bail on Saturday, with a court appearance scheduled for January 2, as per the county’s inmate information records.
This occurrence served as another indication of the security issues surrounding Trump, who has faced two assassination attempts this year. On July 13, a shooter opened fire on Trump during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, injuring him and two others, and resulting in one fatality, before the assailant was shot dead. On September 15, Secret Service agents spotted a would-be shooter waiting at Trump’s golf course in West Palm Beach, Florida, as the former president was playing there. The individual was apprehended and charged with attempted assassination of Trump.
Bianco stated that Miller “showed all signs” of being permitted at the rally, claiming to be a VIP guest and a member of the press, managing to bypass the initial security level. However, as he attempted to approach the venue, a deputy observed that the interior of Miller’s vehicle was in “disorder” and that he possessed an evidently fake license plate, which led to further scrutiny.
Miller did not reply to an email requesting comments. The Press-Enterprise reported on Sunday that he expressed shock at his arrest in an interview with the Southern California News Group, stating that he supports Trump and is “the last person” who would intend to harm anyone. He mentioned in the interview that he was unaware of the differences between gun laws in California and Nevada.
Law enforcement found that Miller had several passports with different names and multiple driver’s licenses, and that his car was not registered, Bianco noted. They also discovered that Miller appeared to identify himself as a “sovereign citizen,” which Bianco characterized as part of a “far-right” and “fringe” group that believes government laws do not apply to its members.
