An armed man impersonating a U.S. marshal was arrested at a campaign event for Democratic presidential contender Robert F. Kennedy Jr., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. The police were contacted and informed that a man with a loaded gun and a badge claiming to be a U.S. marshal was present at the event. The man was identified as Adrian Paul Aispuro, 44, and he was taken into custody. Aispuro remains in custody with a bail set at $35,000.
Kennedy expressed gratitude to his private security detail for spotting and detaining the armed man. The man had reportedly claimed to be a part of Kennedy’s security team and insisted on being taken to the candidate immediately. However, Kennedy’s security detail noticed the gun, surrounded the man, and called the police.
The suspect’s brother, Raymond Aispuro, revealed in a phone interview that he had driven Adrian to what he believed was a private security job. Although Adrian Aispuro had previously worked in emergency medical services and private security, he was currently unemployed. Raymond Aispuro emphasized that his brother’s actions were not motivated by any animosity towards Kennedy or his political stance.
It is unclear if Adrian Aispuro has legal representation at this time. Kennedy had previously expressed concerns about the lack of Secret Service protection for his campaign. However, the decision to grant Secret Service protection is determined by specific criteria, including polling and campaign thresholds, and is typically provided to major party candidates within a year of the general election.
The Secret Service applauded the quick actions of the LAPD in apprehending the impersonator and confirmed that nobody was harmed during the incident.