A man identified as 38-year-old Jeanine John Taele from Downey, California, was arrested near the Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles County over the weekend of August 1-2, 2026. Authorities detained Taele after plainclothes federal agents observed him walking the golf course grounds at 1 Trump National Drive in Rancho Palos Verdes, taking photographs and videos and appearing to monitor security-planning activities ahead of President Trump's scheduled visit to Southern California for a Republican National Committee event on Tuesday, August 4.

Deputies from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department located Taele's vehicle in a parking lot on the golf course. During his detention, deputies recovered a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow point ammunition from his pants pockets. A search of his vehicle uncovered a loaded pistol with a round chambered and an additional loaded magazine also containing hollow point ammunition.

Taele was arrested and booked for carrying a concealed firearm and possession of armor-piercing or prohibited ammunition. Investigators executed a search warrant at his residence, where they recovered an illegally modified AR platform rifle, a 1911 .45 caliber pistol, an AR platform upper receiver, body armor, high-capacity magazines, bulk pistol and rifle ammunition, two radio signal devices, and multiple notebooks containing what authorities described as "concerning statements."

The investigation is being conducted jointly by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the U.S. Secret Service. Deputies noted that Taele was already under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department for a separate incident involving robbery. Officials have stated that no credible threat to the surrounding community has been identified, but the investigation remains active. Additional charges may be filed as the case proceeds.

Sources