The suspect in a second assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Florida may have been hanging around Mar-a-Lago and the former president's golf courses in West Palm Beach for weeks, planning to flee to Mexico, a judge and federal prosecutors said.
The moves come after Ryan Routh, who was charged by federal authorities with possession of a firearm with erased numbers and unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon, was ordered by a federal judge on Monday to remain in custody.
“When it comes to flight risk, this guy makes a good case for what a flight risk he is,” Rep. David Joyce (R-Ohio), a member of the bipartisan task force investigating the first assassination attempt on Trump, in Pennsylvania, told Fox News.
According to documents released by the Department of Justice yesterday before Routh's court appearance, one of the cell phones found in his vehicle during his arrest on September 15 “contained Google searches regarding how to get from Palm Beach County to Mexico.”
Federal judge refuses to order release of Ryan Routh, suspected Trump assassin
A courtroom sketch depicts Ryan Routh appearing in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday, Sept. 23. Routh was indicted last week on charges related to an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. (Lothar Speer)
“The FBI obtained cell tower records for two of the cell phones found in the Nissan Xterra. The two cells are served by different carriers that use different cell towers,” the document continues.
Regarding one of the cell phones, the report states: “On multiple dates and times between August 18, 2024 and September 15, 2024, ROUTH's cell phone accessed a cell tower located near Trump International. [Golf Club] And the former president's mansion at Mar-a-Lago.”
“Investigators also recovered 12 pairs of gloves, a Hawaii driver's license in the defendant's name and a passport in the defendant's name,” the document adds.
Trump assassin suspect wrote chilling letter months before golf course plan
Prosecutors allege that Ryan Routh was armed with an SKS rifle, a backpack and shopping bags and was stationed near the Trump International Golf Course in West Palm Beach. (Ministry of Justice)
Magistrate Judge Ryan McCabe, who ultimately granted the government's request to hold Routh in custody until the charges against him were resolved, said during Monday's hearing that Routh appeared to have been stalking Trump over a 30-day period.
Federal prosecutors told the judge that the government plans to ask a grand jury to indict Routh on a more serious charge, attempting to assassinate President Trump, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The Justice Department on Monday also released a letter written by Routh in the months before the assassination attempt.
Ryan Routh was ordered to remain in custody when he appeared in federal court in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Monday. (Lothar Speer)
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“I really hope this letter is not a call to arms for the lunatics in our country to go after him,” Joyce said in response to the letter. “It involved people like these two and we definitely don't want any more assassination attempts to happen, so I would urge them not to do that at all.”
Fox News' Jake Gibson, David Spunt and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.
