LA Police Arrest Armed Man Ahead of Trump's Appearance

Plainclothes federal security agents noticed behavior on the part of the 38-year-old that suggested he was observing the preparations for security measures ahead of the president’s visit, according to the local police. During his arrest on Sunday, officers found a 16-round magazine. In the suspect’s car in the golf course parking lot, they also found a loaded handgun and another magazine, also filled with hollow-point ammunition.

Police in the state of California accuse the man of concealed carry of a firearm and possession of prohibited ammunition. The 38-year-old is reportedly already under investigation in a separate case involving a robbery. During a subsequent search of his nearby residence in Downey, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office reported that the following items, among others, were seized:

* an illegally modified AR-type assault rifle

* a pistol

* extra-large magazines

* large quantities of pistol and rifle ammunition

* a bulletproof vest

* “Several notebooks containing alarming statements”

The police did not provide any further details about the contents of the notebooks. The investigation is being conducted in cooperation with counterterrorism units and the Secret Service, which is responsible for protecting the president, the police said. The suspect remains in custody. The district attorney’s office is reviewing the allegations, officials said.

The U.S. president was expected to arrive Tuesday evening (local time) at the Trump National Golf Club in the suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes to raise funds for the Republican Party at an event there.

Trump has been targeted on numerous occasions

In this case, according to the police, the suspect was not initially charged with planning an attack. However, this was not the first security incident involving Trump's golf courses.

In September 2024, the Secret Service shot an armed man hiding in the bushes at Trump’s golf course in Florida. The suspect did not fire any shots, fled, and was arrested shortly thereafter. In February 2026, the man was sentenced to life in prison for the attempted assassination.

Previously, in July 2024, a gunman had fired at Trump from a nearby rooftop during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, wounding him in the right ear. One attendee was killed, and two others were injured. The gunman was killed by security forces.

Gun laws in the U.S. are very lax compared to those in Germany, for example. In most states, it is relatively easy to purchase firearms such as handguns and assault rifles.