(NewsNation) — Over the weekend, authorities in Riverside County, California, stopped an armed man outside a rally for former President Donald Trump.
Vem Miller, 49, was taken into custody by local sheriff’s deputies after multiple IDs and weapons were allegedly found in his vehicle outside the rally in Coachella Valley.
Authorities described the incident as having stopped a third assassination attempt against Trump.
In July, Trump was grazed on the ear after a gunman opened fire at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. One rally attendee was killed and two more seriously injured. In September, Secret Service agents fired at a man who was allegedly waiting outside Trump’s golf course with weapons.
Here’s what we know about Miller:
Who is Vem Miller?
Miller is 49 years old and from Las Vegas, where he ran for state office in 2022. He has a master’s degree from UCLA and reportedly considers himself a sovereign citizen.
His social media shows him supporting Trump and he claimed to be attending the rally on a special pass issued by the Republican Party.
What was Vem Miller arrested for?
Riverside County sheriff’s deputies detained Miller at the second of three checkpoints outside the event. They described his SUV as being in “disarray” and having a fake license plate.
They found multiple driver’s licenses and passports in his vehicle with different names, and there were also two unregistered weapons and multiple boxes of ammunition.
Miller reportedly said he had attended Trump rallies in Nevada with weapons in his trunk with no issues and said he assumed it would be the same in California.
Was Vem Miller trying to assassinate Donald Trump?
Local officials described the arrest as having stopped a third assassination attempt against the former president.
No federal charges have been issued and the Secret Service said the former president was not in any danger, but that the incident is under investigation.
Miller has said he is a Trump supporter and was not attempting to harm him.
Is Vem Miller a Republican?
Local news outlets reported that Miller is a registered Republican.
He also ran for Nevada State Assembly District 13 in 2022 as a Republican but lost in the primary.
What is a sovereign citizen?
Miller is reported to be a sovereign citizen. Sovereign citizens are people who claim they are not subject to any local, state or federal laws unless they consent to them.
Sovereign citizens have refused to pay taxes on these grounds and may create their own driver’s licenses or license plates in defiance of the law.
Their arguments have not held up in court.
Is Vem Miller still in jail?
Miller was released on a $5,000 bond and will next appear in court in January.
