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Taele was already under investigation
The following day investigators executed a search warrant at Taele’s home in nearby Downey. What they found significantly raised the level of concern.
Inside the residence they recovered an illegally modified AR-style rifle, body armor, multiple high-capacity magazines, extensive rounds of ammunition and notebooks containing what officials described as “concerning statements.”
Taele was also already under investigation by El Segundo Police in connection with a separate robbery case.
He was charged with possession of a short-barreled rifle, receiving a large-capacity magazine, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and second-degree robbery. He pleaded not guilty to all charges and was held on $250,000 bail. A judge also issued a protective order barring him from possessing firearms or approaching the golf course.
A pattern of security incidents
The arrest is the latest in a string of security incidents surrounding Trump since he returned to the presidency.
In July 2024 he was shot in the ear at a Pennsylvania rally and in September 2024 a gunman was arrested at his Florida golf course after a weapon was discovered in nearby bushes, with the suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, later sentenced to life in prison.
In February 2026 a man armed with a shotgun and gas can was shot dead after crashing the security perimeter at Mar-a-Lago. And in April 2026 an armed intruder fired shots at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, prompting an emergency evacuation of the president.