A 49-year-old man from Las Vegas has been arrested after authorities discovered firearms in his vehicle near a Donald Trump rally in Coachella, California. Riverside County Sheriff’s deputies identified the suspect as Vem Miller.
Miller was stopped at an internal checkpoint close to the rally, where deputies found that he was unlawfully in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine. Additionally, he had multiple passports and driver’s licenses under various names, and his SUV bore counterfeit plates, according to Sheriff Chad Bianco during a Sunday press conference.
Bianco described Miller as a “lunatic” affiliated with the Sovereign Citizens movement, which is considered a far-right group that rejects government authority, though it is not classified as militant. Records from Nevada indicate that Miller is a registered Republican.
During the checkpoint stop, Miller claimed to be a journalist and stated he possessed a pass to attend the rally. He was subsequently booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center on state weapons charges and has since been released with a scheduled court appearance. It remains unclear whether he will face any federal charges, as the FBI and Secret Service are currently investigating any potential threats to the former president.
The arrest took place prior to Trump’s arrival at the event. Security measures at Trump’s campaign rallies have been intensified following two assassination attempts against him. The first incident in Pennsylvania resulted in the former president being grazed by a bullet and a supporter being killed, while the gunman was shot by a sniper. In a separate incident, Secret Service agents apprehended a man with an AK-style rifle hiding near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf resort.