A Chinese citizen named Zijie Li has been arrested for repeatedly attempting to enter former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Florida, claiming to have documents linking the Chinese government to the July 13 assassination attempt on Trump.
Following the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, security around Trump's estate, Mar-a-Lago, was significantly increased. However, despite the enhanced security measures, a Chinese citizen named Zijie Li, 38, has been arrested for repeatedly attempting to gain access to the property.
According to an arrest report obtained by the Palm Beach Post, Li's first attempt to reach Mar-a-Lago occurred on July 19, the night before the Secret Service closed South Ocean Boulevard, the road adjacent to the estate. Li allegedly drove up to the main entrance of the property in a gray Toyota Prius and informed Secret Service agents that he possessed documents demonstrating China's involvement in the assassination attempt. However, Trump was in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, for the Republican National Convention at the time.
Man Repeatedly Attempts to Access Mar-a-Lago with Alleged Evidence of Trump Assassination Attempt
Agents informed Li that he was trespassing and issued him a written warning, instructing him that he would be arrested if he returned to Mar-a-Lago.
Undeterred, Li returned to Palm Beach on July 22 and was spotted driving east and west over the Royal Park Bridge twice, once in the morning and again in the afternoon.
Man Repeatedly Attempts to Access Mar-a-Lago with Alleged Evidence of Trump Assassination Attempt
On July 30, Li was seen driving toward the security checkpoint for Mar-a-Lago, prompting police to approach him. During the traffic stop, an officer noticed that Mar-a-Lago's address was on Li's GPS system.
Li was released and left town but returned less than an hour later, his car spotted south of Mar-a-Lago on South Ocean Boulevard. Palm Beach Police and Secret Service agents once again intercepted him and reiterated their previous order not to return to the property.
Man Repeatedly Attempts to Access Mar-a-Lago with Alleged Evidence of Trump Assassination Attempt
Despite their warnings, Li persisted in his attempts to access Mar-a-Lago. Officers eventually located and arrested him at an intersection north of the estate.
At the time of his arrest, Trump was not at Mar-a-Lago, but he is expected to return this weekend, according to a Federal Aviation Administration notice that establishes temporary flight restrictions in the area surrounding Mar-a-Lago during that time.
Man Repeatedly Attempts to Access Mar-a-Lago with Alleged Evidence of Trump Assassination Attempt
Court records indicate that Li used a Mandarin translator and was issued a no-contact order for Trump, anyone associated with him or his campaign, and for his Mar-a-Lago property.
Li's next court appearance is scheduled for Monday, August 5.
It is important to note that Li is not the first Chinese citizen to face charges for trying to gain access to Mar-a-Lago. In 2019, a 32-year-old Chinese woman was arrested after the Secret Service said she lied to get into the club and then claimed she wanted to talk to Trump about economic relations between China and the United States.
