(Ken Silva, Headline USA) It’s been widely reported that the feds received numerous reports about Ryan Routh in the years leading up to his alleged Sept. 15 assassination attempt on President Donald Trump. Those reports came from Routh’s associates in Ukraine, who were raising flags about his recruitment of foreign refugees to fight in the war against Russia.
However, few, if any, media outlets have reported that local law enforcement also received a report on Routh just nine days before his alleged attempt. According to previously unpublicized information from a Florida Highway Patrol arrest warrant, deputies conducted a Sept. 6 “welfare check” on Routh at a truck stop where was thought to have been living in the weeks leading up to his alleged attempt.
The Florida Highway Patrol arrest warrant, which was filed in December but has remained largely unpublicized, also indicates that Routh may have been committing a crime right under law enforcement’s nose during that Sept. 6 encounter.
The arrest warrant states that on Sept. 6, deputies were called to GR’s Truck Stop in South Bay, about 45 miles away from Trump International Golf Course. According to the arrest warrant, Routh identified himself to PBSO deputies, and told them he was only staying at the truck stop temporarily because he “found a shady spot.”
🚨Previously unpublicized records show that Palm Beach Sheriff's deputies encountered Ryan Routh on Sept. 6, a mere 9 DAYS before his alleged assassination attempt on Trump.
The records also show that Routh had been using a stolen license plate since Sept. 2.
Did Routh's vehicle… pic.twitter.com/OI9s4LnJJw— Headline USA (@HeadlineUSA) May 12, 2025
However, Routh found more than just shade at the GRS Truck Stop. Parked near Ryan’s Nissan Xterra was a tree-trimming truck belonging to Taurus Transportation owner Puja St. Louis. According to the Florida Highway Patrol arrest warrant, Routh the truck’s Florida license plate #97EEED, and put it on his Xterra.
The stolen license plate was found on the Xterra when Routh was apprehended by law enforcement after his Sept. 15 alleged attempt on Trump. Moreover, law enforcement’s investigation determined that Routh was using the stolen license plate since at least Sept. 2—meaning that he had the plate in his possession when PBSO conducted its Sept. 6 welfare check on him at the truck stop.
The PBSO didn’t respond to Headline USA’s questions about whether the stolen license plate was attached to Routh’s vehicle during the Sept. 6 encounter. Nor did the PBSO respond to questions about whether deputies noticed the license plate—and, if so, why they didn’t charge Routh with a crime for having it.
The PBSO also denied a request for bodycam footage and other documents about the Sept. 6 incident, citing an ongoing investigation.
The day after his encounter with the PBSO, Routh continued his alleged assassination plot with a visit to Palm Beach International Airport, purportedly to conduct surveillance on where Trump parked his plane.
The PBSO realized the significance of the Sept. 6 welfare check the day after the Sept. 15 assassination attempt, when deputies returned to the truck stop.
“On September 17, 2024, PBSO Deputy S. Barge, having learned of the September 6, 2024, welfare check involving Routh at the GRS Truck Stop in South Bay, visited the scene. BWC from Dep. Barge revealed that there were several empty cans of Armour brand Vienna sausages located in the exact spot where Routh had previously had the Xterra parked and was apparently living,” the arrest warrant states.
“This is noteworthy because deputies who located Routh’s sniper’s nest after the shots were fired on September 15, 2024, also located Vienna sausages along with the rifle, the backpacks, and the camera.”
Routh faces state charges of attempted assassination, as well as an attempted felony murder charge for allegedly causing a car crash that badly injured a young girl after the PBSO stopped him on Sept. 15. He also faces federal charges for attempted assassination, and has a hearing in that case schedule for Wednesday.
Correction: This story initially incorrectly reported that the arrest warrant was issued by the PBSO, when it was in fact issued by the Florida Highway Patrol.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
