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Feds: Suspect Claimed to Be on Trump Security Detail
Newser • • nation
Key Points:
- Jeanine John Taele, a California man arrested at President Trump's Los Angeles-area golf course, was impersonating security personnel and found with illegal weapons in his car and home, leading to federal weapons charges.
- Taele was caught carrying a loaded 9mm pistol, a 16-round magazine with ammunition, and an unregistered short-barreled AR-style rifle at his residence, which had been modified to have a 10-inch barrel.
- He was initially spotted at the golf course wearing an earpiece and photographing federal agents, later claiming to be with the State Department before his arrest.
- Taele, a former US Marine with prior deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan, also faces state weapons charges and unrelated robbery charges; his home contained body armor and notebooks with concerning statements.
- FBI officials highlighted the seriousness of Taele’s behavior given previous threats against President Trump, who commented that being targeted reflects his consequential status.
