Suspect claimed “assassination attempt on Donald Trump,” also had directions to Mexico, FBI says

Washington — The FBI revealed Monday that the man arrested in connection with the apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump earlier this month had in his vehicle a list of dates and venues where the former president had appeared or was expected to appear and a search of one of his cell phones revealed searches of how to get from West Palm Beach to Mexico.

The FBI said in the filing that Ryan Wesley Routh, who was identified as the suspect in the incident, had left with a neighbor a handwritten letter, addressed to “The World,” saying “this was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you. I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster.”

The details were revealed in a court filing from federal prosecutors calling for Routh to remain detained through a trial. A hearing on the Justice Department’s request is set to take place in federal court Monday morning. Routh has remained in custody since he was arrested just over a week ago.

Routh was charged with two federal firearms offenses after the apparent assassination attempt on Trump. The Secret Service said Trump was not harmed after an agent spotted a man’s face in the brush and a rifle along the fence line outside of Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Sept. 15. 

This is a developing story and will be updated