PALM BEACH, Fla. — Authorities say 21-year-old Austin Tucker Martin of Cameron, North Carolina, breached the perimeter of Mar-a-Lago on Sunday, armed with a shotgun and a gas can. He was shot and killed by Secret Service agents and a Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office deputy, making it the most violent security incident in the property's history.
But it was not the first.
WPTV dug through nearly a decade of records and found at least a dozen documented security incidents at the Palm Beach estate since Donald Trump first took office in 2017. Despite new laws, tens of millions of dollars billed to Palm Beach County taxpayers for increased security patrols on land, water, and in the air, the breaches have kept coming.
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A pattern that dates back to inauguration day
The first incident came in the early hours of Jan. 20, 2017, just before Trump's first inauguration. A Clearwater woman named Kelly Ann Weidman sneaked onto the Mar-a-Lago estate, smeared bananas on vehicles in the driveway, and left explicit messages on computers inside the property. She was arrested on trespassing charges, but those charges were later dropped after she completed a diversion program.
It would not be the last time someone got through and faced little consequence for it.
WPTV breaks the story: The Chinese national who bluffed her way in
In March 2019, we were first to report on one of the most alarming security breaches in Mar-a-Lago's history.
Yujing Zhang, a 33-year-old Chinese businesswoman from Shanghai, talked her way past Secret Service agents and into the club by claiming she was there for a United Nations Friendship Event. When agents grew suspicious of her contradictory statements and lack of legitimate documentation, they detained her and took her to the Secret Service's West Palm Beach office for questioning.
What investigators found in her possession: 2 passports, 4 cellphones, a laptop, a hard drive, and a thumb drive later found to contain malicious malware. The discovery fueled widespread suspicion that Zhang may have been a spy.
However, the U.S. Attorney's Office never filed espionage charges. Zhang was convicted of 2 counts: trespassing and lying to a federal officer. She represented herself at trial. A federal judge sentenced her to eight months in prison, later transferring her to ICE custody. She was ultimately deported to China.
Armed teenagers on the grounds
In August 2020, 3 teenage boys were arrested after jumping the perimeter wall of Mar-a-Lago. One of them was carrying an AK-47. The incident marked a significant escalation in the severity of breaches at the property.
A car speeds past the checkpoint, deputies open fire
On Jan. 31, 2020, Hannah Roemhild drove an SUV past a security checkpoint at high speed. Deputies fired at the vehicle. Roemhild was taken into custody and later found not guilty by reason of insanity in both state and federal courts.
A warrant that is still active
On June 29, 2022, Donald W. Cleveland was arrested for trespassing at Mar-a-Lago after telling deputies he wanted to speak with then-President Trump. When investigators searched his vehicle, they found a battery pack with wires, a pillowcase, and baking sheets — prompting the PBSO Bomb Squad and K-9 units to respond. Cleveland was Baker Acted. He was later charged, but never showed up for his July 20, 2022, court hearing.
According to Palm Beach County court documents, Cleveland was later charged but never appeared for his July 20, 2022, court hearing. An arrest warrant remains active.
Laws changed. Security spending skyrocketed. Incidents continued.
Florida lawmakers passed a law making trespassing in law enforcement security zones, including Mar-a-Lago, a third-degree felony. Signs warning of that charge now surround the property.
Palm Beach County commissioners approved tens of millions of dollars in funding to cover PBSO deputy overtime for security at the estate. Sheriff Rick Bradshaw has previously requested millions more, citing the extraordinary demand the assignment places on his department.
But the incidents continued. In January 2025, a man jumped the wall just 2 days after Trump's second inauguration. In June 2025, a Texas man scaled the wall, saying he wanted to "spread the gospel" and "marry" a Trump family member. In September 2025, a Palm Beach woman who claimed to be "Christy Renee Trump" approached the gate despite a prior trespass warning.
And on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, Austin Tucker Martin got through. Armed with a shotgun. He was shot and killed.
Martin is the 5th person to breach the Secret Service perimeter at Mar-a-Lago since Trump's second term began and the most dangerous intruder to have made it onto the grounds in the property's history.
We will continue to follow this story and report back with answers.
