Man arrested with guns near Trump Coachella rally had "homemade" license plate, multiple passports

YEREVAN, OCTOBER 14, ARMENPRESS. Deputies assigned to former U.S. President Donald Trump's rally in California's Coachella Valley arrested a Las Vegas man Saturday at a checkpoint for allegedly having a loaded firearm, a shotgun and a high-capacity magazine, CBS News reported citing the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect, identified by deputies as 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, Nevada, was pulled over in a black SUV at the intersection of Avenue 52 and Celebration Drive in Coachella before Trump arrived at the location for his rally, according to the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

During a news conference on Sunday, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco, whose department assisted in security measures for the event, said that Miller's car had an "obviously fake license plate" that prompted the department to investigate further. 

In a news release Sunday, the department said that the suspect was "illegally in possession of a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine." Bianco said Miller's vehicle was unregistered and that multiple passports and driver's licenses with different names were found inside. 

Bianco said Miller was taken into custody without incident on the inside perimeter of a much larger outer perimeter surrounding the rally venue, which deputies were patrolling on Saturday.

Deputies spotted the "homemade" license plate, Bianco said, and noticed that the inside of the vehicle was "in disarray."

"The license plate was what we in law enforcement would recognize is one that is homemade and indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be sovereign citizens," Bianco said.

While the Riverside County Sheriff said he believes an assassination attempt was thwarted, the US Attorney's Office said in a statement that former President Trump was not in any danger and a federal official told CBS News there was no indication of an assassination attempt connected to this incident. The suspect was charged with two misdemeanor weapons charges and was released.  No federal charges have been filed at this time and the investigation is ongoing according to a joint statement by the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service.