Local police on Saturday arrested an armed man outside a rally for former President Donald Trump in Coachella Valley, with Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco asserting that the arrest likely prevented a third assassination attempt against the former president. This suspicion came after 49-year-old Vem Miller was found to have a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine, raising concerns about his intentions.

“I truly do believe we prevented another assassination attempt,” Sheriff Bianco told reporters on Sunday, a day after Miller was detained at a checkpoint near the rally.  

However, as per CNN’s report, two federal officials said that there is no evidence at this time to suggest that Miller was planning to harm Trump and that the arrest was not related to any assassination plot. A joint statement from the US Secret Service, FBI, and the Justice Department reassured the public that Trump was not in any danger during the rally.

The statement asserted that the incident did not affect the safety of the former president. “The US Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger. While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing. The US Attorney’s Office, US Secret Service, and FBI extend their gratitude to the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s events,” the statement read.

Miller was later taken into custody before the rally began and was charged with firearms offenses. Despite the serious charges, he was released later that day on a $5,000 bail, a decision that has raised questions given the nature of the arrest. He is scheduled to appear in court on January 2.

According to Sheriff Bianco, Miller passed through an initial security checkpoint and made it to a secondary perimeter before authorities noticed several irregularities. Miller’s vehicle was unregistered, had a fake license plate, and appeared disorganized inside. Further inspection revealed that Miller was carrying multiple driver’s licenses and passports with different names, which raised additional red flags. Bianco stated that Miller had claimed to be a journalist to gain entry to the rally, though it remains unclear why he was in the area.

The Trump campaign expressed gratitude towards law enforcement for their efforts in securing the rally site. “We are aware of news reports about the arrest and are currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information,” CNN quoted Trump's campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung.