A man arrested by federal agents at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes over the weekend had told agents he was employed by the State Department and was at the club for security detail, federal authorities said while announcing charges against him.
Read more Senate confirms Dr. Erica Schwartz as CDC director, bringing new leadership to troubled agency
Jeanine John Taele, 38, who was wearing an earpiece, took photographs and filmed videos of federal agents’ security-planning activities at the property on Friday, July 31, according to the U.S. Department of Justice, just days before the president’s Tuesday, Aug. 4 visit to his golf course for a fundraiser.
“Federal agents conducted a security assessment at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles in Rancho Palos Verdes taken in advance of a visit to the club by President Donald J. Trump on August 4,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a press release.
Taele returned two days later, on Sunday, Aug. 2, when he was spotted, by the golf course staff who alerted agents, acting “suspicious.” Federal authorities called the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Taele allegedly admitted to having a loaded firearm in his car, which was parked in the Trump golf course parking lot, federal authorities said.
“(And) Taele approached the federal agents and stated that he was employed by the State Department and was at the location for security detail,” the press release said.
Inside his Toyota Tundra pickup truck, authorities found a loaded 9-millimeter pistol with a loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition, a pair of binoculars and a badge that read “security protection agent,” federal authorities said.
“While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit,” said Bill Essayli, first assistant U.S. attorney. “Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring.”
Read more Crews remove the granite seal on the White House helipad, signaling potential project delays
It was unclear if Taele was aware that President Trump would be visiting the club on Tuesday, as the first news story about it appeared to be published online at 3 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 3, the day after Taele’s second visit and arrest.
Taele was charged Tuesday with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, which has a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison, authorities said. He was being held without the possibility of bail for now.
At the time of his arrest, Taele was under investigation on suspicion of committing a robbery in November 2025, El Segundo police said.
After he was taken into custody, a search warrant served at his home Monday, Aug. 3 uncovered an illegally modified AR platform rifle, a 1911 .45-caliber pistol, an AR platform upper receiver, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk pistol and rifle ammunition and notebooks containing “concerning statements” and two radio signal devices, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which announced the arrest on Tuesday.
“There is no room for error, particularly in light of previous attempts on President Trump’s life, and the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, working with our partners at the U.S. Secret Service, the ATF, and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, will investigate this case thoroughly,” said Patrick Grandy, the assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office, in a statement.
Read more No evidence? No problem. Trump pushes ahead on false claims that Reflecting Pool was vandalized
