Although they happened just two months apart, there are some stark differences between the July 13 attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump and the September 15 attempt, not least of which is the amount of information available about the would-be assassins. While the no-longer-among-the-living Thomas Matthew Crooks is a virtual cipher, Ryan Wesley Routh, the 58-year-old alleged to be behind the second attempt, is very much alive and sports an enormous digital footprint.
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As we sift through the mountain of information uncovered on Routh, one of the most alarming aspects of his history is the fact that numerous red flags were thrown up about him well before he staked out Trump International Golf Club with apparent intent to shoot the former president and GOP presidential nominee.
Our sister site, Townhall, has an exclusive report on an alarm raised by former CIA analyst Sarah Adams regarding Routh in June of 2023:
A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) targeter who is now an investigator and author has shared that numerous humanitarian advocates helping Ukraine against the Russian invasion expressed concern last year regarding ongoing criminal behavior by Ryan Routh, the man who attempted to assassinate President Trump on September 15, 2024. Routh’s alleged behavior was so troubling that it was purportedly shared with the U.S. Department of State.
In information shared with Townhall.com, Sarah Adams, a former CIA targeter and intelligence analyst, shared a Be On The Lookout warning (BOLO) from June 2, 2023 warning of criminal activities by Ryan Routh. The information in Ms. Adams’ BOLO was, according to her, even reported to the U.S. government, specifically the Department of State.
The BOLO is partially reprinted below:
"📢 Important Announcement 📢 🚫 BOLO 🚫
"Beware of American Ryan Routh. Reports indicate that he is leading a human trafficking scheme. He is instructing Afghans to travel illegally to Iran with the promise they will link up eventually with the Ukrainian legion to fight. This is a fraud as NO official pathway exists for this from the Ukrainian Government for our allies in Afghanistan. Also, despite promised funding support it has not come to fruition and he has abandoned Afghans illegally in Iran.
"Stay vigilant from these fraudsters and feel free to copy this to spread the word! hashtag#StaySafe 🚫🛂 "
As the report further explains, Adams authored the BOLO, and it was distributed to numerous humanitarian groups assisting Ukraine in the wake of Russia's invasion, as well as groups assisting Afghans following the U.S. withdrawal. Further, "Mr. Routh was known to be ostracized by several leaders in the Ukrainian humanitarian community."
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Between this information, Routh's lengthy rap sheet, and his numerous prior interactions with the press, this guy was a walking red flag. Thankfully, the agent who spotted Routh's gun and engaged him kept him from wreaking the havoc it appears he was intent on, and the alert witness enabled his swift apprehension.
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