California Sheriff Says His Deputies Stopped Possible Third Trump Assassination Attempt During Rally

Last updated on October 14th, 2024 at 08:27 am

Riverside County, California Sheriff Chad Bianco said his deputies may have stopped a third assassination attempt targeting former President Donald Trump on Saturday evening.

In a press statement released on Sunday, Oct. 13, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Sgt. Ben Medina said deputies assigned to a Trump rally in Coachella stopped a black SUV outside the rally venue. Medina said upon stopping the SUV, officers found the driver, Vem Miller, 49, of Las Vegas, illegally in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and what Medina said was a “high-capacity magazine.”

Medina said deputies arrested Miller and booked him at the John J. Benoit Detention Center for possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine.

Providing more details about the arrest at a Sunday press conference Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said his deputies found Miller with multiple passports with different names, and fake license plates on his vehicle.

While admitting he was speculating on Miller’s motives, Bianco said, “If you’re asking me right now I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt,” against Trump.

During his press conference, the sheriff described Miller as a “sovereign citizen” and a member of “far-right” groups.

Miller posted bail for the arrest on Sunday and denied Bianco’s allegations in a phone call with Fox News. Miller described himself as “100 percent a Trump supporter.” He also denied being a sovereign citizen and a member of “far-right” groups.

“They’re saying that I’m part of these right-wing anti-government groups? Why aren’t they naming these groups? Because it doesn’t exist,” Miller told Fox News.

Miller said he notified authorities of his firearms at the time of his arrest. He said he’s never fired the weapons, but travels with them in his truck everywhere he goes.

As for the alleged fake passports, Miller insisted all of his identification documents are authentic and that some contain his full Armenian name, while others don’t.

The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Secret Service, and the FBI issued a joint statement following Miller’s arrest on Sunday. In it, the federal offices said they were aware of the arrest by the Riverside Sheriff’s office, but said no federal arrest has been made.

“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Donald Trump was not in any danger,” the joint statement reads.

Miller’s arrest comes a month after authorities arrested Ryan Wesley Routh and charged him with attempting to kill Trump after he reportedly posted up in some bushes with a rifle at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida.

In July, another shooter managed to get off several shots at Trump, with one clipping the former president’s ear, during a July 13 campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.