Federal officials say no evidence of assassination attempt after man arrested with weapons near Trump rally in California

By Michelle Watson, Rashard Rose and Holmes Lybrand, CNN

(CNN) — Two federal officials told CNN there is no evidence at this time to indicate a man who was arrested on gun charges near Donald Trump’s Saturday rally in California was attempting to assassinate the former president.

In a joint statement with the FBI and Justice Department, the US Secret Service said that “former President Trump was not in any danger” at the rally.

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

Once the man, identified by the sheriff as 49-year-old Vem Miller of Las Vegas, made it to the second perimeter, authorities realized some “irregularities,” Bianco said. The interior of the car was in disarray, the vehicle was unregistered, and it had a fake license plate, according to Bianco.

Miller was in possession of multiple driver’s licenses and passports with different names, according to Bianco. It is unclear why Miller was in the area, according to Bianco, who said Miller claimed to be a journalist to gain entry to the rally.

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

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

“The U.S. Secret Service assesses that the incident did not impact protective operations and former President Trump was not in any danger,” the agency’s joint statement with the FBI and Justice Department said. “While no federal arrest has been made at this time, the investigation is ongoing. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Secret Service, and FBI extend their gratitude to the deputies and local partners who helped ensure the safety of last night’s events.”

The Trump campaign on Sunday thanked law enforcement “for securing the rally site and helping ensure the safety of President Trump.”

“We are aware of news reports about the arrest and are currently monitoring the situation and gathering more information,” campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told CNN.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Josh Campbell and Alayna Treene contributed to this report.

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