Former president Donald Trump said Thursday that he had not heard about a man threatening to kill him, who was on the run in the same Arizona county he was visiting.
Cochise County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) said Tuesday that Ronald Lee Syvrud, 66, was wanted on multiple warrants, including threats to kill a presidential candidate.
Trump visited the county on Thursday, which sits on the U.S.-Mexico border, as part of his campaign efforts linked to immigration.
“I haven’t heard about that they probably want to keep it from me,” he told reporters when asked about the threats on his life.
AP Photo/Evan Vucci/Cochise County Sheriff’s Office
CCSO told Newsweek that Syvrud had made multiple posts on a social media platform in recent days, but the exact nature of the messages was not made clear.
“We are working closely with all local, state, and federal partners to locate this subject related to the outstanding warrants and the threats investigation,” CCSO public information officer Carol Capas told Newsweek via email.
“We are continuing our search for this suspect.”
Syvrud, whose last known address was in Benson, Arizona, is also wanted on outstanding warrants from Wisconsin, for a DUI/failure to appear for DUI, as well as in Graham County, Arizona, for a hit and run and failing to register as a sex offender.
CCSO is also seeking him on the same latter charge.
Syvrud is described as 6ft tall, weighing 220lbs, with green eyes and white/gray hair.
Cochise County Sheriff’s Office
Trump still visited the border as planned, with the Associated Press reporting snipers stood nearby as the Republican candidate made his remarks on border security.
A spokesperson for the U.S. Secret Service told Newsweek that they were aware of the case.
“The U.S. Secret Service investigates all threats against our protectees,” the spokesperson said. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we cannot comment further at this time.”
The threats on Trump’s life are not the first in recent months, with the most notable the attempted assassination at his rally in Butler, Pennsylvania in mid-July.
A Florida man was arrested in July, having also made threats online towards Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
Earlier in August, authorities announced that they had foiled a plot by an Iran-linked Pakistani man to assassinate a top U.S. politician or official, believed to be the former president.
The FBI declined to comment, referring to local law enforcement.
Do you have a story Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com