A man was arrested for illegally possessing a shotgun and a loaded handgun at an intersection near Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday, according to police. The suspect, identified as 49-year-old Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when deputies stopped him at a security checkpoint. They discovered the two firearms along with a “high-capacity magazine.”
Mr. Miller was taken into custody “without incident,” the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office reported. He was later released and told US media that he is a Trump supporter who did not intend to harm the Republican presidential candidate. The US Secret Service stated that Trump “was not in any danger,” and that the incident did not affect protective operations.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco emphasized that the encounter did not compromise the safety of Trump or the rally’s attendees. Although he acknowledged that it was impossible to know the suspect’s intentions, he remarked that he “truly believed” his officers had prevented a potential third assassination attempt. He also described Mr. Miller as “a lunatic,” noting the difficulty in proving any intent to harm.
Sheriff Bianco, an elected Republican official who has previously shown support for Trump, is also acting as a surrogate for Trump’s re-election campaign. Mr. Miller expressed his shock at the arrest, denying any intentions to harm Trump. He told Fox News that he “always” travels with guns in his vehicle but has never fired one.
Before his release on a $5,000 (£3,826) bail, Mr. Miller faced two misdemeanour weapons charges, though no federal charges have been filed. A federal law enforcement official informed the BBC’s US partner CBS News that there was no indication of an assassination attempt related to this incident. Federal authorities are still investigating, and any additional charges would be up to them.
During a police news conference on Sunday, Sheriff Bianco recounted the events leading up to the arrest. He stated that as the suspect approached an outer perimeter near the rally location, he “gave all indications that he was allowed to be there.” However, as Mr. Miller reached the inner perimeter, “many irregularities popped up.” Bianco explained that the vehicle had a fake license plate and was “in disarray” inside. He revealed that multiple passports with different names and various driver’s licenses were found in the car, along with a “home-made” license plate that was not registered.
He added that the suspect claimed to be a member of the far-right group known as Sovereign Citizens. Sheriff Bianco noted that the license plate was also “indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be Sovereign Citizens,” but he had not definitively concluded that Mr. Miller was affiliated with that group. “I wouldn’t say it’s a militant group. It’s just a group that doesn’t believe in government and government control,” he explained. “They don’t believe that government and laws apply to them.”
The incident, which police stated occurred at 16:59 local time on Saturday (00:59 GMT on Sunday), underscores the extensive security measures surrounding Trump and the dangers he faces, especially with just over three weeks until the election. This follows two high-profile alleged assassination attempts on Trump earlier this year, which led to heightened security at his events.
Just a week before Mr. Miller’s arrest, Trump held his second rally in Butler, Pennsylvania this year, the same location where he suffered a bloodied ear after a sniper fired multiple shots in his direction, resulting in one fatality among the crowd. Another individual is currently in jail after being arrested outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach in September; this man was spotted hiding in bushes near the golf course with the muzzle of a rifle protruding from the foliage.
What do we know about Vem Miller?
Despite Sheriff Bianco’s insinuation that Mr. Miller was planning to harm Trump, his online presence appears to corroborate his claims of supporting the Republican presidential candidate. His posted content suggests that he is a committed right-wing activist.
Mr. Miller maintains two Facebook profiles, including one for a 2022 state election in Nevada, as well as an Instagram account, a LinkedIn profile, a Twitter account, and an online show on the video platform Rumble. He has shared footage of himself at the Republican National Convention in July and posted photos with several prominent Republicans and conservative commentators.
He frequently attends pro-Trump rallies across the country and demonstrates strong opposition to Democrats. Additionally, Mr. Miller has expressed a variety of conspiracy theories regarding COVID, vaccines, 9/11, and weather phenomena. He owns a website and hosts an online chat show where he identifies as an investigative journalist and filmmaker, promoting right-wing perspectives alongside his apparent conspiratorial beliefs. In his online posts, he has also called for violence against Democrats, whom he accused of “treason” over their response to Hurricane Helene.
