Man with guns and fake passports arrested outside Trump rally in California

A man was arrested at a checkpoint outside Trump’s rally in Coachella and charged with possession of an illegal weapon, as ITV News’ Will Tullis reports

A man carrying a shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested outside Donald Trump’s rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday, police have said.

The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office said the male driver was identified as Vem Miller, 49, of Las Vegas.

Miller was driving an unregistered black SUV with a homemade license plate before being stopped by police, who found the weapons and ammunition in the vehicle.

The 49-year-old “was found to be illegally in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine”, Sheriff Chad Bianco told reporters on Sunday afternoon.

He was released on a $5,000 (£3,829.77) bail on Saturday.

Police said Miller’s car was “in disarray”, and also had a fake license plate, multiple fake passports and driver’s licenses.

In a statement on Sunday, the US Attorney’s Office said: “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.”

Law enforcement snipers at Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump’s campaign rally at the Calhoun Ranch. / Credit: AP

He claimed to be a journalist when his car was stopped at an inner perimeter close to the rally site. Miller had already passed an outer security boundary.

Miller was released on a $5,000 (£3,829.77) bail on Sunday.

Police are still actively investigating the incident, Sheriff Bianco said.

He added that the department is “actively engaged with working with Secret Service and members of the FBI to make sure this person is followed up on.”

The arrest on Saturday comes as security around Trump has been increased after two previous alleged assassination attempts.

Trump visited California over the weekend in a bid to link Kamala Harris to her home state’s recent struggles with homelessness, water shortages and a lack of affordability.