Armed Man Arrested Near Trump Golf Course
A 38-year-old man has been charged with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment. Jeanine John Taele, of Downey, California, was arrested on Sunday near Trump National Golf Club in Southern California, days before President Donald Trump’s visit.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department stated that Taele was first spotted walking around the golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes on Friday while wearing an earpiece and taking photographs and filming video of the security-planning activities of federal agents for Trump’s visit. He returned to the golf club on Sunday, when course staff notified federal agents of his presence.
According to court documents, Taele was approached by federal agents, whom he allegedly told he was an employee of the State Department and was working a security detail. He also allegedly admitted to having a loaded firearm in his car that was parked in the club’s parking lot.
Federal agents then contacted the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, which learned that Taele was wanted in connection with an El Segundo robbery case. Sheriff’s deputies detained him and found his vehicle in a parking lot at the course.
During the detention, deputies recovered a 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition from Taele’s pants pocket. They subsequently searched Taele’s vehicle and recovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered, along with an additional loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition.
Detectives from the sheriff’s department’s Major Crimes Bureau who were assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force then executed a search warrant at Taele’s home on Monday because of ‘the potential security implications surrounding the incident.’ There, they recovered what were described as an illegally modified AR-platform rifle, body armor, a .45-caliber pistol, bulk pistol and rifle ammunition, two ‘radio signal devices,’ multiple notebooks containing ‘concerning statements,’ and other items.
The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and Secret Service are aiding the investigation. The FBI stated in a separate statement that Taele was previously charged with firearms-related crimes in Los Angeles Superior Court for a 2025 robbery and was granted $250,000 bail in that case.
Trump was scheduled to attend a Republican National Committee event at the golf course on Tuesday night. He was on Air Force One en route to California when the sheriff’s department announced the arrest, CNN reported.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated, ‘While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the president’s visit. Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring.’
The investigation is ongoing, authorities said.
