Hours before President Trump was scheduled to headline a Tuesday evening fundraiser at his Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, authorities announced that they had arrested a heavily armed individual seen wandering the grounds Sunday.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey was charged with a federal firearm-related offense after he was apprehended at the Trump National Golf Club with ammunition in his pocket and a loaded firearm in his pick-up truck, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.
L.A. County sheriff’s deputies detained Taele on Sunday afternoon after he told federal agents at the golf club that he was a State Department employee there for security detail, according to an affidavit filed with the criminal complaint in California’s Central District Court.
Federal agents initially saw a suspicious individual, who was later identified as Taele, walking around the golf course on Friday, according to the affidavit. Taele was wearing an earpiece and photographing agents while they were completing a security assessment ahead of Trump’s visit.
On Monday, sheriff’s detectives and FBI agents searched Taele’s Downey residence and found an alarming stash of weapons — including an illegally modified AR-style rifle, a .45-caliber pistol, body armor, high-capacity magazines and bulk pistol ammunition. Detectives found multiple notebooks containing “concerning statements” and two radio signal devices.
Taele is also under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department in connection with a robbery incident.
“Mr. Taele’s troubling behavior at the President’s public golf course merely days before the President was expected to arrive raised serious red flags for law enforcement,” said Patrick Grandy, assistant director in charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles field office. “There is no room for error, particularly in light of previous attempts on President Trump’s life.”
Taele was charged Tuesday with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. He is scheduled to make his initial appearance Wednesday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
He also faces criminal charges in Los Angeles Superior Court stemming from the same incident, according to the DOJ.
Sheriff’s deputies arrested Taele on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possessing prohibited ammunition Sunday, and a case was presented to the L.A. County district attorney’s office for filing consideration Tuesday.
The FBI, Sheriff’s Department, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Secret Service are continuing to investigate the incident.
“While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit,” said 1st Assistant U.S. Atty. Bill Essayli in a statement. “Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring.”
Authorities said they had identified “no credible threat to our communities.” The president’s Tuesday evening Republican Party fundraiser at the golf course took place as planned.
Reporters were not allowed inside the event, where a White House spokesperson said the president intended to tout his wins in advancing tax cuts and securing the border, while denouncing the “radical policies of Democrats like Gavin Newsom.”
Tuesday’s fundraiser marked Trump’s second trip to L.A. since returning to office, with the first taking place in January 2025 when he toured the fire-ravaged areas of the Pacific Palisades.
Newsom used Trump’s visit to call attention to the fact that many residents in the Palisades and Altadena are still waiting for federal wildfire relief aid, writing on X that the president has returned to L.A. “not to help, but to host a fundraiser at his golf club.”
Trump departed Los Angeles without incident Tuesday night and headed to Las Vegas, where he will deliver remarks on the economy at a casino Wednesday.
Times staff writer Ana Ceballos contributed to this report.
