The FBI is investigating what appears to be a manhunt aimed directly at the area where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport.
The discovery was made by Secret Service agents last week during preliminary security checks ahead of the president’s arrival in Florida this weekend, spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said in a statement to The independent.
“The U.S. Secret Service is working closely with the FBI and our law enforcement partners in Palm Beach County,” Guglielmi said. “During advance security preparations prior to the Palm Beach arrival, which included the use of technology and extensive physical sweeps, our teams identified items of interest in the vicinity of Palm Beach International Airport.”
Guglielmi added that “there was no impact on any movements and no people were present or involved at the scene.”
The FBI has taken the lead in the investigation, Guglielmi confirmed, and federal agents spent the weekend processing the scene.
“While we are unable to provide details about the specific objects or their intentions, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures,” he said.
Part of Southern Boulevard, part of the route Trump’s motorcade travels between the airport and his Mar-a-Lago compound, was shut down for about 24 hours as local and federal authorities secured the area.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed to Fox News that the FBI was taking over the investigation.
“Prior to the President’s return to West Palm Beach, [the Secret Service] spotted what appeared to be an elevated fighter stand within line of sight of Air Force One’s landing zone,” he said. “No persons were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigative lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene and implementing our cell phone analysis capabilities.”
A law enforcement source told Fox News that the stand appeared to have been set up “months ago.”
Trump arrived in Palm Beach around 6:24 p.m. Friday to spend the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate. He was seen golfing at his Trump International Golf Club on Saturday and Sunday, according to a White House pool.
The discovery of the tree stand comes a month after Ryan Routh was convicted in Fort Pierce, Florida, of trying to assassinate Trump last September while the then-presidential candidate was playing golf at his club in unincorporated West Palm Beach, just miles from the airport.
This incident followed another assassination attempt in July 2024, when a gunman opened fire during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Trump was grazed in the right ear, one supporter was killed and two others were wounded before Secret Service snipers fatally shot the 20-year-old assailant, Thomas Crooks.
Trump returned to the White House on Sunday night.