A Chinese Man Arrested for Allegedly Flying Drone Over Vandenberg Space Force Base Amid Mysterious Drone Sightings in New Jersey
Yinpiao Zhou, a 39-year-old Chinese national living in Brentwood, California, was arrested on Monday at San Francisco International Airport for allegedly flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. He was charged with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, Zhou flew a small drone over the base on November 30, using it to photograph the base from an aerial viewpoint. The drone flew for nearly an hour, reaching an altitude of almost one mile above ground level, and originated from Ocean Park, a public area next to the base.
Zhou’s arrest comes amid unexplained drone sightings in New Jersey that have alarmed residents and federal and local officials. The sightings, which began in mid-November, have continued almost every night since, with eyewitnesses reporting seeing “car-sized” drones over the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster and the Picatinny Arsenal Military Base in Rockaway.
The FBI is investigating the New Jersey sightings, but officials have not yet found any evidence to suggest that Zhou is connected to the activity. The drones being seen in New Jersey appear to be large, commercial-grade devices, up to six feet in diameter, and often avoid detection.
Zhou’s arrest has raised concerns over the ability of foreign entities to infiltrate US airspace and conduct surveillance. The Vandenberg Space Force Base is used to launch spacecraft and perform missile testing, and officials have suggested that the New Jersey drones may be coming from an Iranian “mothership” off the East Coast.
However, the Pentagon has denied that there is any evidence the drones are the work of an adversary, and there is no evidence to suggest that Zhou is connected to the New Jersey sightings. Zhou is currently in federal custody pending prosecutors’ appeal of a federal magistrate judge’s decision to release him.
