A 39-year-old Chinese national, Zijie Li, has once again found himself in trouble with the law, this time for attempting to access President-elect Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. This incident marks Li’s third arrest related to trespassing at the estate, raising serious concerns about the security of the former president’s residence.
Despite a court order barring him from the property, Li, a student visa holder from suburban Los Angeles, was apprehended Thursday after arriving in an Uber at the estate’s entrance in Palm Beach. Since Trump’s victory in the 2024 general election, Mar-a-Lago has been fortified with heightened security measures, including the deployment of a high-tech robot dog and a substantial police presence.
Li’s previous encounters with law enforcement at or near Mar-a-Lago began in July when he attempted to enter the estate, claiming to have information linking China to a separate assassination attempt on Trump at a rally in Pennsylvania. After being ordered to leave, he was arrested a week later for trespassing and released on bail with the condition that he stay away from Mar-a-Lago.
However, Li’s disregard for the court order continued. In October, he was placed in a mental hospital after approaching a local homeowner near Mar-a-Lago, inquiring about gaining entry to the estate. He was released from the hospital just days before his most recent arrest, which revoked his prior bail.
The recent arrest highlights the ongoing security challenges faced by the Secret Service and local law enforcement in protecting Trump at his Florida residence. This is not the first time Mar-a-Lago has been the site of unlawful entries. During Trump’s presidency, the estate saw multiple breaches, including two by Chinese nationals.
One particularly concerning incident involved Yujing Zhang, a Chinese businesswoman, who gained access to the property in 2019 while carrying electronic devices, raising suspicions of espionage. She was later deported after being convicted of trespassing.
While there has been no indication that these incidents were attempts to harm Trump, the repeated security breaches at his Florida residence raise concerns about the effectiveness of the security measures in place and the potential vulnerability of high-profile individuals to unauthorized access.
