A third assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump was thwarted on Saturday when a Las Vegas man was arrested near Trump’s campaign rally in Coachella Valley, California. Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco confirmed on Sunday that the man, Vem Miller, was found with weapons and fake credentials about half a mile from the rally.
According to a statement from the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Miller was stopped at a checkpoint around 5 p.m. near Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive. Miller, driving a black SUV, was discovered in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine, all of which were illegal.
Sheriff Bianco told reporters that Miller, a member of a right-wing anti-government group, likely intended to assassinate Trump. Suspicion was raised when Miller presented counterfeit VIP and press passes at the checkpoint.
“The passes were suspicious enough to alert our deputies,” Bianco said. “We may have just stopped another assassination attempt.”
Miller, a registered Republican with a master’s degree from UCLA, had previously run for state assembly in Nevada in 2022. He identifies as a “sovereign citizen,” part of a movement that denies government authority unless personally accepted.
Law enforcement had established strict security measures around the rally, including a double perimeter and a half-mile zone limiting access. Sheriff Bianco expressed shock over the incident, stating, “I didn’t think something like this would happen in Riverside County. We don’t have the same level of unrest as other places. It’s surprising.”
Bianco commended his deputies for their efforts in the extreme heat. The US Secret Service also praised local authorities for their role in protecting Trump and the attendees, stating, “The Sheriff’s Department went above and beyond in safeguarding the event.”
In a related incident, another individual was questioned by the FBI after bomb-sniffing dogs reacted to him, though he was denied entry and further details remain undisclosed.
Miller was booked for possessing a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine but was released on $5,000 bail. His court date is set for January 2, 2025, at the Indio Larson Justice Center.
The US Secret Service confirmed the arrest but stated that the incident did not affect their operations, thanking local partners for their assistance.
This follows two recent assassination attempts on Trump. In September, Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested with a high-powered rifle near Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach, while in July, Matthew Crooks fired an AR-15 at Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, killing one attendee before being shot dead by Secret Service agents.