Washington DC [US], October 20 : The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Sunday (local time) stated that it has launched an investigation after the US Secret Service (USSS) discovered a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to the area where US President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at Palm Beach International Airport, Fox News reported, citing officials.
According to Fox News, the elevated stand was found on Thursday during routine security checks ahead of the US President's planned return to West Palm Beach.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that while the structure has not yet been linked to any individual, federal agents are actively investigating.
"Prior to the President's return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within the sight line of the Air Force One landing zone," the FBI Director said, as quoted by Fox News.
"No individuals were located at the scene. The FBI has since taken the investigatory lead, flying in resources to collect all evidence from the scene and deploying our cell phone analytics capabilities," he added.
Anthony Guglielmi, chief of communications for the Secret Service, confirmed the agency is working closely with the FBI and local law enforcement in Palm Beach County.
He added that the stand was identified as part of "advance security preparations" ahead of Trump's arrival and emphasised that there was "no impact to any movements" and no individuals were found at the scene.
"There was no impact to any movements, and no individuals were present or involved at the location," Guglielmi said, as quoted by Fox News.
"While we are not able to provide details about the specific items or their intent, this incident underscores the importance of our layered security measures," he added.
A law enforcement source further told Fox News that the hunting structure appeared to have been in place "for months".
In July last year, Trump narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on him during his campaign in the run-up to the US Presidential election of 2024.
It happened at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania on July 13 when gunshots rang out and Secret Service agents stormed the stage. Hours after the shooting, Trump said that the bullet pierced the upper part of his right ear.