Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said Sunday that he believes authorities might have stopped another assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump after a 49-year-old Las Vegas man was arrested near Trump’s rally in the Coachella Valley on Saturday, allegedly with a loaded firearm and a high-capacity magazine.
Deputies assigned to the rally contacted the driver of a black SUV at a checkpoint near the intersection of Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive just before 5 p.m. Saturday — before Trump’s arrival — sheriff’s officials said.
They allegedly found the driver in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine. The driver was identified as Vem Miller, and was taken into custody and later booked at the John J. Benoit Detention Center on suspicion of possessing a loaded firearm and possessing a high- capacity magazine.
Bianco said deputies detained the suspect at a second checkpoint — which was located about a quarter of a mile from the event entrance — after they noticed that the interior of his vehicle “was in disarray,” that the vehicle had a fake license plate and the suspect had “multiple” fake passports and fake driver licenses with different names.
The sheriff said the vehicle’s phony license plate was indicative that Miller was a member of the so-called Sovereign Citizens group, who do not believe they are subject to any government regulations, including those for guns and vehicles. Deputies allegedly had to go through the vehicle identification number and manufacturer process to make sure it belonged to Miller.
Bianco doubled down on his earlier assertion that he believes “We probably stopped another assassination attempt,” despite Miller’s claim that he was not there to harm the former president.
In comments to Southern California News Group, Miller said he supports Trump and only had the guns for protection.