Authorities in California have arrested a man at Donald Trump’s golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes after investigators said he was seen photographing the property and watching security activity just ahead of a high-profile fundraising event.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele was taken into custody on Sunday at Trump National Golf Course in the Los Angeles area.
According to deputies, Taele drew attention after he was spotted moving around the grounds, taking pictures and videos, and appearing to observe security preparations that were underway before Tuesday’s Republican National Committee dinner.
When officers searched him, they allegedly found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition in his pocket.
Investigators then examined his vehicle and said they located a loaded handgun as well as more ammunition.
On Monday, authorities carried out a search warrant at Taele’s home in Downey, not far from the golf course. Detectives assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force executed the search due to the “potential security implications surrounding the incident.”
During that search, detectives said they recovered an illegally modified AR-style rifle, body armor, several high-capacity magazines, a large quantity of ammunition, radio signal devices, and notebooks containing what officials described as “concerning statements.”
The sheriff’s department also said Taele was already being investigated by El Segundo Police in relation to a separate robbery case.
After the arrest, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told the public: “There is no credible threat to our communities.”
Prosecutors have charged Taele with multiple offenses, including possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun, receiving a large-capacity magazine, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle, and second-degree robbery.
He appeared in court on Monday and entered not guilty pleas to all counts. The judge set bail at $250,000 and ordered that he must not possess firearms or go near the golf course.
The case comes as security around presidential appearances continues to face close scrutiny, especially at private venues linked to the president.
Since returning to office, Trump has been at the center of several serious security incidents, including attempted attacks during both campaign appearances and presidential events.
Trump survived a shooting at a 2024 campaign rally in Butler County by a matter of seconds, suffering a wound to his ear. Secret Service agents raced onto the stage after at least eight shots rang out during the rally. One bystander, Corey Comperatore, 50, a former fire chief of Buffalo Township, was killed, and two others were wounded.
The gunman was later identified as 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania. He was fatally shot by federal agents at the scene. Investigators believe Crooks acted alone and fired from a rooftop perch approximately 130 yards away.
Another alarming incident unfolded on September 15 at Trump’s Florida golf resort, where shots were heard at about 2pm while he was moving between holes with Steve Witkoff, the US special envoy to the Middle East.
Secret Service personnel quickly secured the course after spotting a firearm hidden in bushes nearby and opening fire.
The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was later arrested and sentenced in February 2026 to life plus 84 months in federal prison for plotting to kill Trump. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence following Routh’s conviction by a federal jury on all five counts charged in the indictment, which included attempted assassination of a presidential candidate and related violent and firearms offenses.
Security concerns also surfaced at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black Course, where off-duty New York Police Department detective Melvin Eng allegedly arrived in tactical gear while pretending to be part of Trump’s security detail.
Officials said Eng was on sick leave and had no assignment related to the event. He managed to bypass Secret Service and state police security before being detected when he dropped his magazine in front of working security personnel. He was later suspended without pay and is facing administrative charges for theft of services.
In another case, Secret Service agents fatally shot a man who entered the Mar-a-Lago security perimeter while armed with a shotgun and carrying a gas can. Trump was in Washington at the time.
Authorities identified him as 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of Moore County, North Carolina. According to investigators and Martin’s family, his motive has not been established. Family members said they had recently reported him missing, and authorities believe Martin purchased his shotgun while driving to Florida.
Another major security scare happened during the 2026 White House Correspondent’s Dinner, the first such dinner Trump attended while serving as president, when an armed intruder disrupted the event minutes after it began at the Washington Hilton in Washington, D.C.
As gunfire echoed through the Hilton ballroom, the president, senior cabinet officials, and others were evacuated, and the rest of the dinner was ultimately called off.
Afterward, Trump was asked how he reacted, given that it was the third shooting to happen near him.
“It’s always shocking when something like this happens. It’s happened to me a little bit. The fact we were sitting right next to each other, and the First Lady on my right, and I heard a noise and thought it was a tray. I thought it was a tray going down – I’ve heard that many times – it was a pretty loud noise, and it was from pretty far away.
“He hadn’t breached the area at all before we got him. It was quite far away – but it was a gun. Some people really understood that pretty quickly, others didn’t. I was watching to see what was happening, but probably should’ve gone down even faster.”
Officials named the suspect as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California. Authorities said he was armed with a shotgun, handgun, and knives when he rushed a security checkpoint just outside the hotel ballroom where Trump and other administration officials were gathered. According to investigators, Allen sent family members a note approximately 10 minutes before the attack stating he believed it was his duty to target Trump administration officials. The note did not specifically mention the White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Allen was charged with federal offenses including attempting to assassinate the President of the United States, transportation of a firearm and ammunition in interstate commerce with intent to commit a felony, and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Allen has pleaded not guilty to the federal charges. A Secret Service officer was struck by at least one round during the incident but was protected by a bulletproof vest and expected to be OK.