Vem Miller, a 49-year-old Las Vegas Man, was reportedly arrested on Sunday, October 13, 2024, after he was found with illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun near Donald Trump’s Coachella rally.
Miller was taken into custody by the Riverside County Sheriff's office. He was charged with possession of a loaded firearm and possession of a high-capacity magazine.
According to multiple reports, Miller was driving in a black SUV toward Trump’s Coachella rally when he was stopped at a security checkpoint. During a security check, police found Miller with fake passports and driver’s licenses, alongside weapons.
The incident occurred an hour before Trump was scheduled to appear on stage.
Miller was taken into custody and has since been released on $5000 bail (via New York Post). In a police news conference, Riverside County police Sheriff Chad Bianco, a Republican who has previously expressed support for Trump, said he "truly believed" that his officers had prevented an assassination attempt.
However, the US Secret Service disagreed with Bianco's assertion. The federal agents maintained Donald Trump “was not in any danger” (via BBC). While police have not disclosed pertinent information about the suspect, Bianco said Miller was also found with a "home-made" license plate that was not registered.
The sheriff added the license plate was also "indicative of a group of individuals that claim to be Sovereign Citizens.”
The sheriff said Miller had told authorities he was a member of the far-right group called Sovereign Citizens, a faction who oppose the government and believe the law does not bind them. Bianco also described the suspect as a “lunatic.” Here’s what we know about the suspect.
What we know about Vem Miller, the man arrested near Donald Trump’s Coachella rally
According to multiple social media posts uploaded after Vem Miller's arrests, the suspect was seen attending several Republican rallies. He was pictured with multiple Republican candidates and Trump supporters including Vivek Ramaswamy and Steve Bannon.
He was also recently pictured with actor Dennis Quaid, who endorsed Trump at the Coachella Rally on Saturday, October 12.
According to a video circulating online, he was also at the recent Republican National Convention.
According to his LinkedIn accounts, Vem Miller describes himself as a Politician and investigative journalist who streamed his shows from his America Happens Network. Based on his videos on social media, he is an ardent supporter of Donald Trump.
His LinkedIn bio alleges he has worked in the media as a journalist, documentary filmmaker, and content producer for over 20 years.
Vem Miller also purported he graduated from UCLA with a bachelor's degree in American literature in 1999. He also lists Vice Media as his former place of employment. It should be noted we cannot confirm the veracity of Miller’s LinkedIn description.
The incident comes just a month after another man was arrested outside the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach after he was spotted hiding in bushes near the golf course with a weapon.