A hunting stand aimed at the Air Force One exit at Palm Beach International Airport was spotted by advance agents, prompting a Secret Service discovery and an FBI lead on the probe; neighbors and a professional iguana hunter say the makeshift stand may have sat in place for years, raising sharp questions about perimeter oversight and how such a clear line of sight went unnoticed until an advance security sweep.
Federal agents found what looked like an elevated hunting stand positioned to watch where the president exits the plane, and they called in the FBI to collect evidence and run analytics. That discovery landed heavy scrutiny because this is not the first time threats to President Trump have been a real concern. For Republicans who prioritize strong law and order, the fact the stand may have been in place for a long time is deeply troubling.
The U.S. Secret Service uncovered a suspicious hunting stand with a direct line of sight to where President Donald Trump exits Air Force One at the Palm Beach International Airport, officials told Fox News Digital.
Agents found the stand on Friday, and the FBI is now leading an investigation into the discovery. FBI Director Kash Patel said the hunting stand has not yet been connected to any individual.
“Prior to the President’s return to West Palm Beach, USSS discovered what appeared to be an elevated hunting stand within sight line of the Air Force One landing zone,” Patel told Fox News Digital. “No individuals were located at the scene. 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.”
USSS chief of communications Anthony Guglielmi also confirmed that the organization is “working closely” with the FBI as well as law enforcement in Palm Beach County.
Guglielmi said agents discovered the hunting stand during their “advance security preparations” prior to Trump’s arrival in Palm Beach.
Locals are baffled about why a stand would be anywhere near that stretch of Southern Boulevard; there are no deer or wild boar in the area, only the occasional iguanas that residents and professionals complain about. A professional iguana hunter says he noticed the stand in 2023 and believes it could have been there for roughly two years. If that timeline holds up, it means routine local observation missed a structure that directly faced an aircraft landing zone.
A professional iguana hunter known as the Python Cowboy says he’s seen the homemade tree stand that was found facing the runway where Air Force One lands — and believes it’s been there for about two years.
Mike Kimmel told WPBF 25 Investigative Reporter Terri Parker he and his team first noticed the stand back in 2023.
“We’ve been noticing it for about two years now,” Kimmel said. “Last November, when the leaves were all dried up, you could really notice it. We were surprised that when we saw the newest news article about it, that they didn’t notice it before.”
Kimmel says he’s never seen anyone using the stand and doesn’t think it would be useful for hunting iguanas.
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A local hunter who owns a hunting club told Parker there’s no legitimate reason for a hunting stand to be in that area.
“There are no deer. There’s no wild boar along Southern Boulevard,” he said. “But you know what there is? Iguanas.”
This is where Republican priorities come in: protect the president, tighten perimeter control, and hold local authorities to account. The immediate response by Secret Service and FBI deserves credit, but the bigger question is how something so conspicuous could have persisted. Agencies charged with security need to explain whether procedural gaps allowed this to go unnoticed and what will change going forward.
Advance teams are meant to sweep routes and vantage points well ahead of arrivals, and discovery of a direct sightline should trigger a full inventory of vulnerabilities. The FBI reportedly flew in resources and used cell phone analytics to collect evidence, which is the right kind of technical response to an unexplained setup. Still, capability after discovery cannot replace consistent deterrence and on-the-ground vigilance.
Residents and hunters describing the location as unsuitable for conventional game add an odd twist: whatever the stand’s purpose, it was out of place. That mismatch raises red flags rather than comforts anyone, and elected officials should demand a clear accounting of how airfield perimeters are monitored. Voters expect proactive security, especially given recent threats against a sitting president.
There are practical follow-ups that matter: identify ownership of the land and structure, review all video and sensor coverage of the stretch, and audit advance security processes so the Secret Service and local departments can show what changed. Accountability for lapses matters to taxpayers and national security alike, and it should be pursued without partisan theater. The bottom line is simple: we need stronger screening, better local reporting, and a guarantee that the president can travel without avoidable exposures.
Officials say no one was found at the stand when agents discovered it, and investigations are ongoing to link the structure to any individuals. The discovery should prompt sober, thorough answers from both federal and local law enforcement so citizens and leaders can be reassured that vulnerabilities will not be left standing. Vigilance has to be continuous, not a one-time reaction.
