Federal officials say there is no evidence of an assassination attempt after a man was arrested with weapons near the Trump rally in California

CNN
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Two federal officials told CNN there is currently no evidence that a man arrested on gun charges near Donald Trump’s rally in California on Saturday attempted to assassinate the former president.

In a joint statement with the FBI and Justice Department, the U.S. Secret Service said there was “no threat to former President Trump” at the rally.

The man, who authorities say illegally possessed a shotgun, a loaded handgun and a high-capacity magazine, was able to gain access to an initial area near the rally in Coachella, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said , on Sunday.

When the man, identified by the sheriff as 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, reached the second barrier, authorities noticed some “irregularities,” Bianco said. According to Bianco, the interior of the car was in disarray, the vehicle was unregistered and had a fake license plate.

According to Bianco, Miller was in possession of several driver’s licenses and passports with different names. It was unclear why Miller was in the area, said Bianco, who said Miller posed as a journalist to gain entry to the rally.

Miller was arrested before Trump’s rally and charged with firearms offenses. He was later released on $5,000 bail, according to the sheriff’s office.

CNN has repeatedly attempted to reach Miller for comment. He is expected to appear in court on Jan. 2, according to jail records.

“The U.S. Secret Service believes the incident had no impact on protective measures and that former President Trump was not in danger,” the agency’s joint statement with the FBI and the Justice Department said. “Although there has been no federal arrest at this time, the investigation remains ongoing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI thank the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s events.”

CNN’s Josh Campbell contributed to this report.