A citizen from China was apprehended after authorities stated he persistently attempted to access Mar-a-Lago Club, previously owned by former President Donald Trump, located in Palm Beach.
As reported by the Palm Beach Post, Zijie Li, 38, from El Monte, California, asserted that he possessed documents linking the government of his country to the assassination attempt on Trump that occurred on July 13 during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The assailant, Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, from Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, was fatally shot by Secret Service agents after his gunfire struck Trump’s ear, narrowly missing his skull, and injured three supporters, one of whom was former Buffalo Township Fire Chief Corey Comperatore, who was killed.
In response to the assassination attempt, the Secret Service heightened security around Trump’s estate and other properties. The Palm Beach Post indicated that this also led to the agency’s decision to close off South Ocean Boulevard adjacent to Mar-a-Lago, starting July 20.
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A man claiming to have insights regarding Trump’s recent assassination attempt is now in custody after repeatedly trying to access Mar-a-Lago, as per the Palm Beach Police Department.
(Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office/(Charles Trainor Jr./Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images/File)
Li’s initial attempt to reach Mar-a-Lago occurred the night before, on July 19, when he allegedly drove to the estate’s main entrance on South Ocean Boulevard in a gray Toyota Prius. He informed Secret Service agents that he possessed documents revealing China’s involvement in the attempted assassination, according to an arrest report obtained by the Palm Beach Post.
At that time, however, Trump was not on the premises, as he was participating in the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Agents subsequently informed Li that he was trespassing and prohibited from entering the property. They issued him a written warning and stated that if he returned to Mar-a-Lago, he would face arrest.
Li’s next attempt was on July 22, when town security cameras captured him driving back and forth over the Royal Park Bridge twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon, as stated in the arrest report.
Trump was present at Mar-a-Lago on that day after returning from Wisconsin.
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Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, captured on February 8, 2021. REUTERS/Marco Bello
(Reuters)
Li was subsequently seen again on July 30, heading towards the Mar-a-Lago security checkpoint, according to the report. When police intervened, Li was obstructing a traffic lane, and an officer discovered Mar-a-Lago’s address set in Li’s GPS.
Li was released and left the area, but returned under an hour later when his car was located south of Mar-a-Lago on South Ocean Boulevard, the report revealed. This time, Palm Beach Police and Secret Service agents confronted him once more and reiterated the prohibition against him returning to Mar-a-Lago, according to the Palm Beach Post.
However, police noted that Li persisted in his attempts to enter the property.
He was eventually located and arrested at an intersection north of Mar-a-Lago.
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A Secret Service agent alongside a security guard overseeing the Mar-a-Lago residence of former U.S. President Donald Trump in Palm Beach, Florida, on March 31, 2023.
(REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo)
At the time of Li’s arrest, Trump was not present at Mar-a-Lago, but he is expected to return this weekend, as indicated by a new Federal Aviation Administration notice.
Temporary flight restrictions will be enforced starting at 7:45 p.m. Saturday, lasting until 10:45 p.m. on August 9 for “VIP movement” centered around Mar-a-Lago, according to a notice released Thursday.
The Palm Beach Post noted that Li is not the first individual from China to face charges related to unauthorized access attempts at Mar-a-Lago. In 2019, a 32-year-old Chinese woman was arrested after allegedly lying to enter the club, claiming she wished to discuss economic relations between China and the United States with Trump.
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Court documents reveal that Li utilized a Mandarin translator, and the judge imposed a no-contact order prohibiting him from interacting with Trump, anyone linked to him or his campaign, as well as his Mar-a-Lago property.
Li’s next court hearing is scheduled for Monday, August 5.
Fox News’ Heather Lacy contributed to this report.
