Arizona cops have arrested a 66-year-old man accused of making threats to assassinate former president Donald Trump. Ronald Syrvud was arrested on Thursday evening, around seven hours after the Cochise County Sheriff's Office released a wanted alert for him at around 2:30 p.m. local time, the Daily Mail reported.
This incident comes just six weeks after an assassination attempt on Trump's life, during which a bullet grazed the former president's ear at a rally in Butler. Would-be assassin Thomas Matthew Crooks shot Trump at the Pennsylvania rally in what has been called a major security service failure, although the bullet narrowly missed Trump. Crooks was shot dead by Secret Service.
Arrested Without Incident
"This subject has been taken into custody without incident in Cochise County. We appreciate all of the information received and the incredible collaborative efforts with all of our public safety partners," the sheriff's office said in a statement, the outlet reported.
Authorities had earlier said that Syvrud is also wanted on multiple other charges, including a DUI and failure to appear in court in Wisconsin, as well as failing to register as a sex offender and a felony hit-and-run in Arizona.
Sheriff Mark Dannels beefed up security near the section of the border wall that Trump was visiting while the search for Syvrud was ongoing.
Records show that Syvrud was previously registered as a Democrat and has an extensive criminal record dating back to 1990. This includes a 2000 conviction for second-degree sexual assault of a child, to which he pleaded no contest.
The specific details of the threats remain unclear, but Sheriff Dannels told the Daily Mail that they were obtained "through social media."
"We have zero tolerance for any kind of threats or intents of violence, so we'll find him. He'll go to jail," Dannels said.
"He's a registered sex offender here in Cochise County, and we were looking for him. He's out of compliance as part of his violations. So we're looking for him on that.
"We're going to arrest him on that. But also the fact his pulse was obviously directed toward this event. So we want to talk to him about that."
Another Threat on Trump's Life Avoided
Before his visit, Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday, saying he would address "the plague of migrant crime that so-called Border Czar, comrade Kamala Harris has unleashed on America."
Trump's running mate, JD Vance, had toured Sierra Vista three weeks ago, where he highlighted security issues in the mountainous area, calling it a "smuggler's paradise."
Vance slammed Vice President Kamala Harris during his tour of Sierra Vista three weeks ago, calling her a "failed Border Czar" and blaming the migrant crisis to her policies.
The Ohio senator also pointed out security issues in the "smuggler's paradise," the same region where the alleged assassination plot against Trump was reportedly planned.
The area presents several security challenges due to its mountainous and rugged terrain, which provides smugglers and cartel traffickers with vantage points to evade detection.
"It's unbelievable what we're letting happen at the southern border, and it's because Kamala Harris refuses to do her job," Vance said at the time.
