As tensions in the Middle East escalate following the June 21 U.S. airstrikes on Iran, security around President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach remains tight.
The law enforcement presence around Mar-a-Lago on June 23 appeared to be about the same as it typically is when Trump is not at his Palm Beach home. Several Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Secret Service vehicles were stationed in their usual locations around the perimeter of the 17-acre property.
The president has not returned to Mar-a-Lago since May 1-4, which marked his 10th and most recent visit since taking office.
Asked about plans for Mar-a-Lago’s security amid the Middle East tensions, a Secret Service spokesperson said the agency would not comment on specific measures around the property.
“However, the Secret Service constantly assesses and adjusts our protective posture accordingly to ensure the highest levels of protection,” the spokesperson said.
As Iran launched retaliatory strikes on a U.S. military base in Qatar on June 23, the scene around Mar-a-Lago was quiet.
Security around the estate is significantly tighter when Trump is home.
Protecting Mar-a-Lago is a team effort that brings together multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, Palm Beach Police Department and PBSO. Other agencies such the Florida Highway Patrol help as needed, as was the case during the No Kings demonstration near Mar-a-Lago on June 14, when protesters marched to just west of Mar-a-Lago along Southern Boulevard.
The U.S. Coast Guard, PBSO and officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission patrol the waters around Mar-a-Lago.
The Coast Guard in April tightened security in the Atlantic Ocean directly east of Trump’s club to establish a temporary security zone when the president or another person under Secret Service protection is at Mar-a-Lago, according to notice posted in the Federal Register.
When Trump is home, “all persons and vessels are prohibited from entering, transiting, anchoring in, or remaining within the security zone unless authorized by the COTP Miami or a designated representative,” the notice said, referring to the Captain of the Port, or the director of the Coast Guard’s Miami sector.
Perhaps the most visible security measure that accompanies each of Trump’s visits to Mar-a-Lago is the closure of South Ocean Boulevard next to the historic estate. The road shuts down between the Southern Boulevard traffic circle and the intersection with South County Road ahead of Trump’s arrivals, and then reopens soon after he leaves for a long enough period of time that it makes logistical and security sense to remove the checkpoints, officials have said.
That road closure went into effect for each of Trump’s visits during his first term in office from 2017-2021.
The Secret Service ordered South Ocean next to Mar-a-Lago to close indefinitely following a July 13 assassination attempt at a Trump campaign rally in Pennsylvania. In August, the Secret Service, Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago and PBSO announced a deal that the road would reopen when Trump is not home.
To protect the airspace over Mar-a-Lago, the Federal Aviation Administration issues temporary flight restrictions that prevent all but essential air travel in the area.
The Secret Service and other law enforcement agencies use a number of tools to protect Mar-a-Lago, including robotic dogs that patrol the property.
The Secret Service’s robotic dog is made by Boston Dynamics and has been seen strolling along Mar-a-Lago’s west seawall. The robot is black, white and red with the words “Do Not Pet” printed on its legs. It is part of the Secret Service’s Technical Security Division, which according to the Secret Service provides “technical expertise and operational support for criminal investigations,” while also working to create secure environments for people under Secret Service protection.
The Secret Service profiled its use of the Boston Dynamics robot last year for a video posted to the agency’s social media accounts, where the Secret Service said the robotic dog is part of the agency’s ASTRO Program, with ASTRO standing for Autonomous Systems and Technical Robotic Operation.
Another unique security feature of Mar-a-Lago: three bomb shelters that were built by former owner Marjorie Merriweather Post during the Korean War.
Kristina Webb is a reporter for Palm Beach Daily News, part of the USA TODAY Florida Network. You can reach her at kwebb@pbdailynews.com. Subscribe today to support our journalism.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: What does security look like around Trump’s Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach amid Iran tensions?
Reporting by Kristina Webb, Palm Beach Daily News / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
