A man was arrested Saturday near a Donald Trump rally in Coachella, California for illegal possession of several weapons, before being released on bail the same evening, the local sheriff’s office said Sunday.
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“Former President Trump was not in danger,” said the Secret Service, responsible for the protection of senior American political figures, in a joint statement with the FBI (federal police) and the office of the Minister of Justice.
The announcement comes after two assassination attempts against the former Republican president and candidate for the White House in recent months, and at a time when he is pleading for more resources to be devoted to his security .
The suspect, described as a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident named Vem Miller, was “in possession of a rifle, a loaded pistol, and a high-capacity magazine” in his car, a statement said. communicated the sheriff’s office of Riverside County, in eastern California.
“The incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or event attendees,” the statement continued.
The suspect was arrested before Donald Trump arrived on the scene “with several passports under different names, an unregistered vehicle with a false license plate, and loaded firearms,” Sheriff Chad Bianco said during of a press conference.
“There is absolutely no way that any of us knew what was going through his head,” he added.
But “if you ask me at this moment, my agents probably prevented the third assassination attempt” against Donald Trump, said this elected official, known for his support for the ex-president and who spoke during of the Saturday evening gathering.
The FBI, Secret Service and Justice Department said in their statement that the investigation was continuing.
The suspect was released on $5,000 bail Saturday evening and is scheduled to appear in local court on January 2 for the offenses of “possession of a loaded firearm” and “possession of a high-capacity magazine.”
There was no immediate reaction from Donald Trump’s campaign team.
The former Republican president narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on July 13 when a gunman opened fire during an election rally in Pennsylvania (north-east), hitting him in the ear and killing a member of assistance.
In mid-September, a man was also arrested, accused of trying to shoot Donald Trump in one of his golf courses in Florida.