Man Carrying Ammunition Arrested at Trump’s California Golf Course Ahead of President’s Visit

A California man was arrested Sunday at President Donald Trump’s Los Angeles-area golf course after authorities say he was observed walking through the grounds, taking photographs as well as video, and appearing to monitor security preparations two days before a scheduled fundraiser there that will feature the president.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department announced the arrest Tuesday as Trump prepared to land in Los Angeles for a Republican National Committee fundraising dinner at the Trump National Golf Course. The event will take place in the coastal suburb of Rancho Palos Verdes, just south of Los Angeles.  

Deputies said Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey was carrying a 16-round magazine with ammunition in his pocket when they contacted him. A loaded pistol was recovered from his car, which had been parked on the golf course’s property.

He was arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possessing prohibited ammunition. Authorities also said he had already been under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department in an unrelated robbery case from last year.  

Taele’s bail has been set at $250,000. He faces possible charges related to a large-capacity magazine, short-barreled rifle/shotgun, and the 2025 robbery. 

Detectives assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force obtained and executed a search warrant Monday at Taele’s residence, where they recovered a range of items that included firearms, magazines, ammunition, body armor and notebooks containing what the sheriff’s department called “concerning statements.”  

The department highlighted that there is “no credible threat to our communities.”  

Trump has owned the Rancho Palos Verdes property for years. The course has held political and private events in the past.

Plainclothes federal agents first reported the suspicious individual on the golf course Sunday afternoon, and deputies from the Lomita Station responded. They made contact with Taele, and discovered the ammunition and the loaded firearm. 

The totality of the circumstances—the photography and video activity, and the weapons—led to the detention and charges.  

According to the sheriff’s department, agents saw Taele walking through the property apparently focused on security-related activities taking place ahead of Trump’s visit. They have yet to describe the writings in the notebooks. They also have not revealed whether Taele knew of the president’s forthcoming visit. Trump is also scheduled to stop in Nevada on the trip. 

Trump properties have in the past been the scene of at least one Trump assassination plot. In a separate 2025 case, a jury found a man guilty of attempting to assassinate Trump at his Florida country club.

A federal judge on Feb. 4 sentenced Ryan Routh to life in prison for attempting in 2024 to assassinate Trump, who was at the time running for president. Routh was also sentenced to seven years behind bars on a gun charge and ordered to pay a $500 fine.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.