The FBI arrested a heavily armed man outside Trump National Golf Course Los Angeles just two days before President Trump’s scheduled arrival โ the latest security incident targeting the 47th president.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, from Downey, California, was taken into custody Sunday after plainclothes federal agents spotted him walking the golf course grounds taking photos and videos.
What deputies found during the arrest reads like a tactical operation gone wrong.
Taele was carrying an illegally modified AR platform rifle, two radio signal devices, a 1911 .45 caliber pistol, an AR platform upper receiver, body armor, high-capacity magazines, and bulk pistol and rifle ammunition, according to the New York Post.
A 16-round magazine containing hollow-point ammunition was recovered from Taele’s pants pocket during a pat-down.
Lomita Sheriff’s Station deputies responded to the golf course at approximately 3:28 p.m. on August 2 after the undercover FBI agents flagged the suspicious activity.
A search of Taele’s vehicle in the parking lot uncovered the additional weapons cache and ammunition stores.
#BREAKINGNEWS: Deputies arrested a man allegedly armed with a handgun and ammo at Trump National Golf Club in California just days before a planned visit by President Trump. Additional weapons, body armor and notebooks with “concerning statements” were found at his home,โฆ pic.twitter.com/MfTcjfp85S
โ KTLA (@KTLA) August 4, 2026
Deputies alleged Taele was monitoring “security planning activities” at the course. He was already under investigation for robbery by El Segundo police.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force executed a search warrant at Taele’s residence Monday. Authorities reportedly discovered multiple notebooks containing what they described as “concerning statements.”
Taele was arrested for carrying a concealed firearm and possession of prohibited ammunition. The charges remain allegations. The case has not been proven in court.
The case was submitted to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, with additional charges under consideration as the joint investigation with the FBI and United States Secret Service continues.
Authorities said there is no credible threat to surrounding communities at this time โ but the investigation remains active.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales told the Post that President Trump will visit California on Tuesday “to tout his wins for the people of the Golden State despite failed Democrat leadership: the largest middle-class tax cut ever, the most secure border in American history, and a plummeting crime rate.”
Taele’s arrest marks the latest in a string of security incidents involving Trump properties and events โ a pattern that has intensified since the former and current president returned to office.
