A 49-year-old man from Las Vegas was apprehended at a checkpoint ahead of a rally featuring former President Donald Trump in Southern California on Saturday. Authorities reported that Vem Miller was found with loaded firearms, several passports under different aliases, and an unregistered vehicle.
Miller was stopped by law enforcement officers assigned to the rally at a checkpoint located in the Coachella Valley. During the stop, deputies discovered a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine in his possession.
In a joint statement, the Secret Service, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office assured the public that Trump was never in danger during this incident.
This arrest follows two previous assassination attempts against Trump, who is the Republican presidential nominee. In September, Ryan Wesley Routh was charged with attempting to assassinate Trump after he was found armed with a high-powered rifle near Trump International Golf Club in Palm Beach. Routh has entered a not guilty plea. Additionally, Trump narrowly escaped injury on July 13 when he was shot in the ear by Matthew Crooks at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. The incident resulted in the death of an attendee, Corey Comperatore, and left two others critically wounded before Secret Service counter-sniper agents neutralized Crooks.
According to the Southern California News Group, Miller is a registered Republican and holds a master’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles. He ran for the Nevada State Assembly in 2022 but lost in the primaries. During that campaign, Miller expressed concerns about “tyranny” taking hold in the country and emphasized a focus on alleged voter fraud.
Professionally, Vem Miller is involved in the film and television industry and hosts a podcast titled “Blood Money” on the American Happens Network, which he founded. The podcast delves into subjects of corruption, controversy, and conspiracy—areas he claims mainstream media neglects.
Sheriff Chad Bianco stated on Sunday that Miller’s vehicle was unregistered and bore a homemade license plate, a practice commonly associated with members of the far-right sovereign citizens movement.
Miller was booked into the John J. Benoit Detention Center in Indio, California, and later released on $5,000 bail. Details regarding the terms of his bail have not been disclosed. He is scheduled to appear at the Indio Larson Justice Center on January 2, according to the department’s inmate database.
Sheriff Bianco added that local law enforcement had established both an outer and inner security perimeter around the rally venue. The outer perimeter allowed authorized individuals to pass, while the inner perimeter directed attendees appropriately. Miller interacted with local deputies at a checkpoint within this inner perimeter.
Bianco confirmed that Miller’s arrest took place before Trump arrived at the rally. The Secret Service reiterated in their statement that the incident did not disrupt protective operations and that former President Trump was safe.