The U.S. Secret Service and FBI are investigating a suspicious hunting stand discovered in a tree overlooking the area where President Donald Trump’s Air Force One lands at Palm Beach International Airport — a potential sniper perch that’s raised fresh security concerns after two failed assassination attempts on the president.
Fox News first reported that agents discovered the strange structure on Thursday afternoon during a routine security sweep ahead of Trump’s return to Florida for the weekend. Described by law enforcement sources as an “odd collection of pipes” resembling a hunting stand, the structure was positioned within direct line of sight to the tarmac where the president exits his plane.
“There were no individuals at the scene,” FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement. “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.”
Secret Service Chief of Communications Anthony Guglielmi confirmed that agents found “items of interest” near the airport and immediately alerted the FBI and Palm Beach County law enforcement. “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 said.
Officials said no ammunition or explosives were discovered, and investigators have not determined whether the structure was a legitimate hunting platform, debris, or something more sinister. Some sources noted that similar tree stands are sometimes used locally by hunters targeting invasive green iguanas.
Still, the discovery has triggered alarm given Trump’s history of being targeted. The president narrowly survived a July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, when a gunman opened fire at a campaign rally before being killed by Secret Service agents. Two months later, 59-year-old Ryan Wesley Routh was arrested after allegedly setting up a sniper position near Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course.
A senior federal official familiar with the current probe told NBC News the stand was located across from a section of the airport often used by private aircraft — including Trump’s personal plane — and that Air Force One has been parked there recently due to ongoing construction.
Trump arrived in Palm Beach on Friday and is spending the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago resort. Authorities have since tightened perimeter security around Palm Beach International Airport and surrounding neighborhoods.
“Even when something turns out to be nothing, it’s still treated like everything,” said a former federal security official familiar with Secret Service advance procedures. “There’s simply no room for error when it comes to presidential protection.”
The investigation remains ongoing, and federal officials have not yet determined whether the object posed a credible threat.
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