A California man was taken into custody Sunday at Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes after authorities said he was seen watching security preparations ahead of the president’s visit. Investigators later said they found weapons, ammunition and body armor connected to the case.
Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to four criminal charges related to his arrest outside the golf course, which came just days before President Donald Trump was expected to visit the area.
Trump arrived in Los Angeles late Tuesday for a Republican National Committee fundraiser.
A Los Angeles County judge set Taele’s bail at $250,000 and imposed several restrictions, including an order barring him from possessing weapons. The judge also ordered him to stay away from Trump National Golf Club and prohibited him from leaving California while the case remains pending.
Taele is due back in court on Aug. 26 for a preliminary hearing setting and bail review.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said the investigation began Sunday after plainclothes federal agents observed Taele walking around the Trump National Golf Club property, taking photos and videos while allegedly appearing to monitor security-planning activity.
Deputies from the Lomita Sheriff’s Station were called to the scene at about 3:30 p.m. and made contact with Taele. During a pat-down search, deputies allegedly found a 16-round magazine loaded with hollow-point ammunition in his pants pocket.
Authorities said they then searched Taele’s vehicle, which was parked in the golf course lot, and recovered a loaded pistol with a round in the chamber, as well as an additional loaded magazine containing hollow-point ammunition.
Taele was initially arrested on suspicion of carrying a concealed firearm and possessing prohibited ammunition. Prosecutors later charged him with receiving a large-capacity magazine, carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle and possession of a short-barreled rifle or shotgun.
The discovery prompted detectives with the Sheriff’s Department’s Major Crimes Bureau assigned to the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force to obtain a search warrant for Taele’s Downey home.
The FBI found a point of interest using an aviation team. (Brendan Smialowski/AFP )
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Investigators said 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.”
Separately, prosecutors also charged Taele with second-degree robbery in connection with an alleged Nov. 4, 2025, incident that was already under investigation by the El Segundo Police Department before Sunday’s arrest at the golf course.
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. Officials said additional charges could be filed as the investigation continues.
President Donald Trump and Trump National Golf Club in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. (Fox News)
Authorities said they have identified no credible threat to the surrounding community but noted the investigation remains active.
The FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office confirmed to News Outlet that the bureau’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is continuing to investigate the case with the U.S. Secret Service and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department but declined to comment further because the investigation remains ongoing.
News Outlet has reached out to the U.S. Secret Service, the El Segundo Police Department and Trump National Golf Club for comment.
