A man in illegal possession of a shotgun and a loaded handgun was arrested at an intersection near Donald Trump's rally in Coachella, California, on Saturday, police said, BBC reports.

The 49-year-old suspect, Vem Miller, was driving a black SUV when he was stopped at a security checkpoint by deputies, who located the two firearms and a "high-capacity magazine.”

Multiple passports with multiple names and multiple driving licenses were found in the car, the Riverside County Sheriff's office said.

Miller was charged with two misdemeanor weapons charges and was released on a $5,000 bail. His court hearing is scheduled for January 2 next year.

US Secret Service said Trump “was not in any danger”, adding that the incident did not impact protective operations.

The local sheriff says police have essentially foiled an assassination attempt against Donald Trump, but many questions remain unanswered.

While Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said it was impossible to speculate about what was in the mind of the suspect, he said he "truly believed" that his officers had prevented a third assassination attempt.

But as the suspect got to the inside perimeter, "many irregularities popped up", Sheriff Bianco added, explaining that the vehicle had a fake license plate and was in "disarray" inside.

He added that the suspect had told authorities he was a member of the far-right group called Sovereign Citizens.

"I wouldn't say it's a militant group. It's just a group that doesn't believe in government and government control," he said.

Bianco is an elected official and a Republican who has previously expressed support for Trump. He is also acting as a surrogate—a representative—for Trump's reelection campaign.