Vem Miller, a 49-year-old Las Vegas resident and registered Republican, was arrested on Saturday after attempting to present counterfeit VIP credentials at a Trump rally in Coachella, California. He faces charges related to illegal firearms possession.
Miller, who describes himself as an “investigative journalist” on LinkedIn, is a co-founder of a fringe far-right website that criticizes mainstream media. During the rally, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco suggested that Miller might have been planning to assassinate former President Donald Trump. However, a source affiliated with Trump’s campaign later downplayed the situation, stating there was no assassination attempt.
Miller was stopped at a checkpoint where authorities discovered a shotgun, a loaded handgun, and a high-capacity magazine in his vehicle. Sheriff Bianco reported that Miller also had multiple passports and driver’s licenses with different names, and noted the disarray inside his car.
“The vehicle had an obviously fake license plate, which prompted further investigation by our deputies,” Bianco explained. “During that investigation, we found multiple passports and driver’s licenses with different names. The vehicle was unregistered, and the license plate was homemade.”
Bianco reiterated his concerns in a press conference, suggesting that Miller’s actions could have been part of a larger threat, labeling him a “political lunatic.” He emphasized that his office is collaborating with the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service regarding the case.
After his arrest, Miller posted $5,000 bail and was released, having been charged with two misdemeanors. He has a court appearance scheduled for January 2.
According to his LinkedIn profile and an active Facebook page, Miller previously ran for the Nevada Assembly in 2022. He claims to be focused on “restoring constitutional rights” and “stopping voter fraud,” including advocating for Second Amendment rights.
The Riverside County Sheriff’s Office stated that the incident did not compromise the safety of Trump or the rally attendees, while Sheriff Bianco maintained that they likely prevented another assassination attempt.
This incident comes amid heightened security measures for Trump following two previous assassination attempts. The first occurred in July at a rally in Pennsylvania, where a shooter was killed by Secret Service after injuring several people. The second incident took place in September in Florida when another individual allegedly aimed a rifle at Trump while he was golfing.
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