A California man arrested near Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles is facing state and federal weapons-related charges after authorities said he appeared to be monitoring security preparations ahead of a scheduled visit by President Donald Trump.
The suspect, identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele of Downey, California, was taken into custody after Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies observed him photographing and recording security activity around the Rancho Palos Verdes golf course, south of Los Angeles.
According to the U.S. Marine Corps, Taele was a corporal and had been deployed to Iraq in 2008 and Afghanistan in 2010 and worked as a warehouse clerk. He earned various military commendations, including an award for good conduct, during his service from 2008 to 2016, the U.S. Marine Corps said.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said Tuesday that when Taele was detained, law enforcement determined that he was being investigated for a 2025 robbery by the El Segundo Police Department. He was granted $250,000 bail in that case, according to Essayli.
Law enforcement also found evidence in his possession at the time he was detained.
The arrest was announced as Trump was preparing to arrive for the Republican National Committee dinner Tuesday at his golf course in Rancho Palos Verdes, located south of Los Angeles.
Taele allegedly visited the site on July 31 and returned on Aug. 2. When he visited the site for the second time, he approached federal agents and falsely claimed that he was employed by the State Department and was there for a security detail.
Following the arrest, investigators executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence, where they recovered additional firearms, ammunition, body armor, communications equipment, and notebooks containing writings that authorities have described as concerning. Officials have not publicly disclosed the contents of those writings.
The suspect has been charged under California law with multiple weapons offenses, including carrying a concealed firearm and possession of prohibited weapons and a large-capacity magazine. He has pleaded not guilty to the state charges and was ordered to stay away from the golf course and not possess weapons. His bail was set at $250,000.
The Los Angeles public defender's office is representing Taele in the state case.
Federal prosecutors have also filed a weapons-related charge involving an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
A motive remains under investigation by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the U.S. Secret Service, and the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.