Man arrested with fake badge, firearm at Trump golf course

August 5, 2026

By KAREN VELIE

A California man arrested over the weekend at Trump National Golf Club in Los Angeles while carrying a badge and ammunition on his person and a loaded firearm in his pickup truck was charged Tuesday with a firearm offense.

Anticipating a visit from President Donald Trump this week, on July 31 federal agents conducted a security assessment at Trump National Golf Club Los Angeles. Agents spotted a man walking throughout the golf course who was wearing an earpiece, and taking photographs and videos of the federal agents’ security-planning activities, among other things, according to the criminal complaint.

Jeanine John Taele, 38, of Downey then left in a 2012 Toyota Tundra.

On Aug. 2, Taele returned to the Trump Golf Club. He approached the federal agents and said that “he was employed by the U.S. State Department and was at the location for a security detail,” according to a criminal complaint.

During searches of Taele and his Truck, law enforcement discovered:

• A badge that read “security protection agent”
• A loaded 9mm pistol with a loaded magazine containing hollow point ammunition
• A pair of binoculars
• A 16-round magazine containing hollow point ammunition

On Aug. 3, 2026, law enforcement searched Taele’s residence and found:

• 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
• Multiple notebooks containing concerning statements
• Two radio signal devices
• An earpiece
• A gold-colored badge and badge holder stating “Badge #1015, Agent-Fugitive Recovery Bail Enforcement.”

During the investigation, law enforcement discovered Taele “had a want” for robbery by the El Segundo Police Department.

Federally, Teale is charged with possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.

Taele, who also faces criminal charges in Los Angeles Superior Court stemming from the same incident, is expected to make his initial appearance today in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.

“While we are still investigating the motives of this individual, we are thankful he was apprehended before the President’s visit,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “Federal and local law enforcement stepped in early and prevented what could have been a dangerous situation from occurring. This investigation remains ongoing.”