A 49-year-old man named Vem Miller was arrested by Riverside law enforcement at a checkpoint about a mile outside of Trump’s Coachella, California event on Saturday.
Massive crowd gathers to see President Trump speak in Coachella, California – screenshot from Bo Louden on X
Miller was taken into custody on two misdemeanor charges after he was found to be illegally in possession of two firearms and a high-capacity magazine. He was released $5,000 bail.
Vem Miller was also allegedly in possession of fake VIP passes and press passes for Trump’s rally.
On Saturday, October 12, 2024, at 4:59 p.m., deputies assigned to former President Donald Trump’s rally in the Coachella Valley contacted the driver of a black SUV at a checkpoint at the intersection of Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive. The male driver, identified as Vem Miller, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was found to be illegally in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. Miller was taken into custody without incident and later booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center for possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine. This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event.
Anyone with information on this case is encouraged to call Deputy Coronado at the Palm Desert Sheriff’s Station by calling (760) 836–1600.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco initially believed a third assassination attempt against Trump had been thwarted.
However, a source close to the Trump campaign told The Daily Mail there was no assassination attempt.
It appears Vem Miller just had firearms in his vehicle and did not have any plot to assassination President Trump.
“There was no assassination attempt in CA yesterday,” the source told DailyMail.com. “A man at a perimeter checkpoint had a gun but there was no incident.”
The Gateway Pundit reviewed Vem Miller’s Instagram account and it revealed he was at the RNC Convention and attended other pro-Trump events with RFK Jr. and James O’Keefe.
In a video posted to Instagram, Vem Miller came within a foot or so of Donald Trump Jr. at the RNC Convention over the summer.
Miller appears to be a Trump supporter who was taken into custody for having firearms in his vehicle.
Possible 3rd Trump Assassination Attempt Stopped In CA By RivCo Deputies: Sheriff
According to RivCo Sheriff Chad Bianco the suspect Vem Miller, 49 from Las Vegas, NV told officers he was a member of a sovereign citizens groupwhen he was stopped at a check point inside the first security ring.Sovereign citizens are anti-government extremists on the FBI watchlist who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States. As a result, they believe they don’t have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement.
COACHELLA, Calif. (AP) — A Nevada man with a shotgun, a loaded handgun and ammunition in his vehicle was arrested at a security checkpoint outside Donald Trump’s rally Saturday night in the Southern California desert, authorities said Sunday. He was released Saturday on $5,000 bail.
The suspect, a 49-year-old resident of Las Vegas, was driving a black SUV that was stopped by deputies assigned to the rally in Coachella, east of Los Angeles, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.
The would-be gunman was taken into custody, police said.
Posted Sun, Oct 13, 2024 at 1:38 pm PT|Updated Sun, Oct 13, 2024 at 2:53 pm PT
Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in Coachella, Calif. (Alex Brandon/Associated Press)
RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — An armed Las Vegas man arrested about a half-mile from former president Donald Trump’s Saturday rally in the Coachella Valley intended to kill the Republican presidential nominee, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco told Southern California News Group on Sunday.
Vem Miller, 49, had a shotgun, loaded handgun and high-capacity magazine when Riverside County sheriff’s deputies made contact with him, police said, adding he was taken into custody and later booked into county jail for possessing a loaded gun and high-capacity magazine.
Bianco told Southern California News Group on Sunday that he believes Miller, who he identified as a member of a right-leaning anti-government group,planned to kill Trump, and that deputies arrested him after Miller presented fake VIP and press passes at the checkpoint.
Miller was driving a black SUV at a checkpoint at Avenue 52 and Celebration drive when deputies assigned to the rally made contact with him just before 5 p.m. Saturday, according to police, who said the incident did not affect Trump’s safety or the safety of event attendees.
He was released Saturday on $5,000 bail, and was scheduled toappear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on Jan. 2, according to thedepartment’s inmate database.
Southern California News Group described Miller as a registered Republican who holds a master’s degree from UCLA and ran for state Assembly in Nevada in 2022. Bianco told the new group that Miller is a so-called sovereign citizen, an anti-government activist who does not believe he is subject to any government statutes.
Miller told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in 2022 that he was running for office because “this country has been taken over by tyranny.” He also told the newspaper if elected his priority would be stopping voter fraud by auditing rolls, passing stronger ID laws, and using paper ballots. At the time he was a plaintiff in a lawsuit claiming he was not allowed to properly observe polls, the Review-Journal reported.
His LinkedIn profile states he is a partner at The America Happens Network, which has the slogan “Rage Against the Mainstream Media.” In his LinkedIn biography, he expresses displeasure about big government, “unlawful mandates” and “politicians acting like dictators.”
Bianco said the FBI was questioning another man after bomb- detecting dogs identified him as possibly dangerous and denied him access to the rally.
Anyone with additional information about the suspect was encouraged to contact Deputy Coronado at 760-836-1600.
Trump had not commented on the arrest as of Sunday.
“A beautiful evening in Coachella, California last night. Thank you!” the former president posted on X, along with a video of the crowd at the rally.
Trump was shot in the ear at a rally in Butler, Penn., on July 13 by a man who was subsequently shot dead by authorities. On Sept. 22, a man was arrested after the Secret Service allegedly saw him pointing a rifle from shrubbery on the West Palm Beach, Fla., golf course where Trump was playing.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
City News Service contributed to this story.
The man was arrested on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine, the department said.
“This incident did not impact the safety of former President Trump or attendees of the event,” the statement said.
The suspect is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 2, 2025, according to online records.
Media members, as well as VIP ticket holders, were routed through a number of intersections manned by state and local law enforcement officers before arriving at a large, grassy area where drivers were asked to open hoods and trunks, and each vehicle was searched by a K-9 officer. Other general ticket holders were directed to a site roughly 3 miles away from the rally, where they were boarded onto buses and driven to the site.
Trump’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the arrest.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco planned an afternoon news conference to discuss the arrest.
