A Chinese citizen caught trying to enter Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club was arrested for trespassing - after being arrested months ago on the same charge.
Police arrested Zijie Li, 39, on Thursday when he arrived at Mar-a-Lago in an Uber. Li lives outside of Los Angeles on a student visa, according to the Associated Press.He appeared in a Florida court on Friday, where he’s facing misdemeanor charges of trespassing after warning.
He was previously arrested in August for the same thing, and told to stay away from the president-elect’s residence.
During his arrest on Thursday, Li told Secret Service agents guarding the residence he had documents connecting China to the July assassination attempt against Donald Trump, WPTV reports.
Li has attempted to pass the gates into Mar-a-Lago four separate times this year, and license plate readers have placed him near Mar-a-Lago four other times.
Li was previously spotted outside of the residence on July 19, where he told gate guards he had similar information about China. He was issued a written warning and told he’d be arrested if he returned.
Later that month, on July 30, Li was seen placing papers with references to Trump on vehicles near Mar-a-Lago, according to police. The following day, he was arrested trying to enter the compound.
During another encounter with police in August, police requested a mental health evaluation for Li.
The following month, Li asked a Mar-a-Lago resident for assistance entering the Florida compound. They declined and called the police, who put Li on under a Baker Act hold, which allows people to be temporarily detained and given mental health treatment.
On Thursday, Li was released from the hold, and returned to Mar-a-Lago the same day, where he was arrested.
Li’s bond has been set at $100,000. In court, he was ordered to have no contact with Trump. He was also forbid from visiting Mar-a-Lago and possessing weapons.
Jail records do not indicate if he has legal representation.
Trump’s residence at Mar-a-Lago is guarded by the Secret Service, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, and private security, according to the Palm Beach Daily News.
In 2020, Jing Lu, a Chinese woman, was sentenced to prison for resisting arrest during an incident at Mar-a-Lago where she was accused but ultimately acquitted of trespassing charges.
Security has been heightened around Donald Trump throughout the 2024 campaign, following multiple assassination attempts against him.
