Ryan Routh (AP image) and Donald Trump (File photo)
Two brothers from North Carolina on Wednesday testified about a box left with them by a man accused of attempting to assassinate President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course last year.Samuel and Lazaro Plata said that Ryan Routh left the container at Lazaro Plata’s home in April 2024, roughly five months before the alleged attack. The box reportedly contained pipes, bullets, wires and other materials.The Plata brothers have known Routh for about 30 years and previously worked at his roofing business. They contacted authorities in September 2024 after news of Routh’s arrest became public, news agency Associated Press reported. Wednesday marked the fifth day of testimony in Routh’s trial. Prosecutors allege that Routh spent weeks planning the attack before aiming a rifle through shrubbery at Trump while he played golf on September 15, 2024 at his West Palm Beach country club.Routh has pleaded not guilty to charges including attempting to assassinate President, assaulting a federal officer and multiple firearm violations.US District Judge Aileen Cannon had scheduled over three weeks for the trial at the Fort Pierce federal courthouse. Prosecutors indicated they expect to rest their case by Thursday or Friday, with Routh’s witnesses subpoenaed to appear by Friday.Both brothers testified that they never opened the box until after Routh’s arrest. Lazaro Plata said he had no reason to suspect anything was wrong when Routh left the container.An FBI agent testified that a 12-page handwritten letter addressed to “Dear World” was found in the box. “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” the handwritten letter read. “I tried my best and gave it all the gumption I could muster. It is up to you now to finish the job; and I will offer $150,000 to whomever can complete the job.”Routh requested that the full letter be admitted into evidence, arguing that the excerpted lines lacked context. He was particularly focused on a passage referencing the shredding of Trump’s plane and noted that the letter made no mention of a golf course, the site of the alleged attack.Also on Wednesday, Ronnie Jay Oxendine testified that he sold Routh the SKS rifle allegedly used in the assassination attempt. Oxendine, convicted of a weapons charge in July, was testifying as part of a plea agreement.A Secret Service agent previously testified that Routh aimed his rifle at the agent before Trump came into view. The agent fired, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing. Law enforcement later arrested Routh with the help of a witness who had seen a person fleeing the scene.The alleged attack comes just nine weeks after Trump survived another assassination attempt while campaigning in Pennsylvania. In that incident, a gunman fired eight shots, grazing Trump’s ear before being fatally shot by a Secret Service sniper.
