Riverside County law enforcement officials have detained a man identified as Vem Miller, following an attempt to pass through a security checkpoint with two unregistered firearms during a rally for former President Donald Trump in Coachella, California. The announcement was made by Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, who stated that the incident occurred last Saturday as Miller tried to breach the checkpoint with VIP participant and journalist credentials.
According to the full report, a search of Miller’s vehicle discovered a loaded handgun, a shotgun accompanied by multiple boxes of ammunition, a high-capacity magazine, and various passports and driver’s licenses bearing different names. It was also found that Miller’s vehicle bore a fake homemade license plate, potentially indicating ties to the Sovereign Citizens movement, a group characterized by the FBI as a domestic terrorism threat (more details).
While Miller currently faces charges linked to the possession of the unregistered firearms, Sheriff Bianco highlighted that additional charges relating to a suspected assassination attempt on Trump are under federal investigation. The local police have coordinated with federal agencies, including the US Secret Service and the FBI, to further probe potential federal charges against Miller. Despite the severity of the accusations, Miller has been released from custody with a state court case pending.
This latest event adds to a series of recent security concerns surrounding Trump. Just weeks ago, an individual was arrested in West Palm Beach, Florida, also on allegations of an assassination attempt while Trump was golfing (details here). Earlier in July, Trump was reportedly injured during a rally in Pennsylvania when a bullet grazed his ear (incident report).