A Las Vegas man was arrested before former President Donald Trump’s appearance at a California rally at Coachella Saturday.
Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said the suspect, Vem Miller, 49, illegally possessed a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine, Fox News reported.
Authorities stopped Miller, who was in a Black SUV, as he tried to get into the VIP area of the rally.
Deputies searched the vehicle and discovered suspicious items.
“What we do know is he showed up with multiple passports with different names. An unregistered vehicle with a fake license plate and loaded firearms. If you’re asking me right now, I probably did have deputies that prevented the third assassination attempt,” Bianco said.
“The deputy also noticed the vehicle had an obviously fake license plate, and that prompted further investigation from our deputy into why the person was there and what he was doing,” he added.
The license plate “was what we in law enforcement would recognize as one that is homemade and indicative of a group of individuals that claimed to be ‘sovereign citizens,'” Bianco said.
Sovereign believe they are exempt from U.S. law. They use a variety of conspiracy theories to warrant their beliefs and their activities. Some of their activities are illegal and violent, according to the Sovereign Citizens Movement website.
“I knew this was going to happen. I couldn’t care less what political party he belongs to. I honestly, I think that’s the stupidest thing in the world that we have to label something, and we’re labeling this as politics. He was a lunatic. He was,” Bianco said regarding Miller.
“And from my perspective, in law enforcement, he was. It’s that group. If, in fact, it turns out that he is part of the Sovereign Citizens Group, they are certainly considered a far-right group. I wouldn’t, from my own personal belief, I wouldn’t say it’s a militant group. It’s just a group that doesn’t believe in government and government control. They don’t believe that the government and laws apply to them. So I think it’s fringe one way or the other. I couldn’t care less. It’s people trying to do harm. And thank God we prevented it,” Bianco said.
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.
Miller, in an interview with Southern California News Group on Sunday, said,
“These accusations are complete bull—t,” Miller said. “I’m an artist, I’m the last person that would cause any violence and harm to anybody.”
Mille told Fox News Digital he reported the guns to authorities. He said he always travels with the guns even though he doesn’t use them.
He was released on $5,000 bail. No federal charges have been filed.
This incident harkened back to two assassination attempts against Trump earlier this year — one in July and another in September.
“I always travel around with my firearms in the back of my truck,” Miller said.
He said he started keeping guns with him when he started getting death threats.
“I’ve literally never even shot a gun in my life,” Miller said. “I don’t know anything about guns. I am beyond a novice.”
Miller said he was a Democrat at one time and former President Barack Obama was going to “save us from needless wars and censorship.”
“I’m certainly more Republican now,” he said, and described himself as more libertarian.
“Yes, I’m 100% a Trump supporter,” Miller said, adding that he was “all-in” with his support of Trump by 2018.
A source close to the Trump campaign said they do not believe this was an assassination attempt on Trump.
