A Chinese man has been arrested for flying a plane over Vandenberg Space Force Base, like FBI investigates mysterious drones in New Jersey.
Yinpiao Zhou, 39, from China now lives in Brentwood, CaliforniaHe was accused of failing to register an airline that does not provide transportation and violating national security.
Zhou was arrested Monday at San Francisco International Airport before boarding a flight to China and made his first appearance Tuesday in US District Court in San Francisco.
He is in federal custody pending an appeal by prosecutors against a federal judge’s decision to release him. No plea was taken and his decision is expected to be filed in US District Court Los Angeles in the coming weeks.
‘This critic says flew an unmanned aircraft over the airfield and took photos of the construction of the property, which is against the law,’ said United States Attorney Martin Estrada.
‘The security of our country is of the utmost importance and my office will continue to strengthen the security of our country’s forces and equipment.’
Zhou’s arrest comes within the mysterious form of a drone New Jersey that he is panicked people and local and state officials.
The FBI are investigating, but at a meeting on Wednesday, a representative of the Department of Homeland Security said: ‘We don’t have any information about where these drones are coming from, where they are starting, where they are landing.’
A California man has been arrested for flying over Vandenberg Space Force Base, which the US government uses for space launches and missile tests.
Yinpiao Zhou, 39, of Brentwood, reportedly flew a small plane over the site on November 30, using it to photograph the grounds from the air (STOCK)
So far, there is no evidence that Zhou is connected to the drone incident in New Jersey.
But his arrest adds to growing concerns about the ability of foreign agencies to enter US airspace and conduct surveillance.
The drone sightings began in mid-November and have continued nearly every night since, New Jersey residents said.
Eyewitnesses have seen erratic ‘multi-vehicle’ flights above the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster and the Picatinny Arsenal Military Base in Rockaway, among other places.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) was the first alerted to unusual activity in Morris County, where the army is stationed, on November 18, but the scene appeared again near Menham, Chester and Morristown.
These are not ‘hobbyist’ drones. It appears to be a large, commercial piece of equipment, according to officials.
Eyewitness reports, TV footage and officials confirm that drones range from inches to a meter and often evade detection.
The drone Zhou flew at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, however, was very small – small enough to fit inside his jacket.
According to the affidavit filed on December 8 with the complaint, the drone detection system was alerted by the drone flying overhead on November 30.
The drone flew for about an hour, traveled about a kilometer above the ground, and came from Ocean Park – a public area near the base.
Zhou’s arrest comes amid a series of mysterious drone sightings in New Jersey that have alarmed residents and state and local officials.
The drone sightings began in mid-November and have continued nearly every night since, New Jersey residents said
Security personnel went to the park, spoke with Zhou and another person accompanying him, and learned that Zhou had a drone hidden in his jacket – the same one that flew down.
Agents later searched Zhou’s plane pursuant to a government search warrant and saw several aerial photos of Vandenberg Space Force Base.
A search of Zhou’s cell phone showed Zhou had searched Google about a month earlier for the phrase ‘Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules.’
He also texted with someone about hacking his drone to fly higher than it should.
Zhou is a Chinese citizen and legal resident of the United States, having recently arrived in the US from China in February 2024.
These are not ‘hobbyist’ drones. They appear as large, commercial devices that are up to six meters tall and often avoid detection
The person who accompanied Zhou to Ocean Park recently entered the United States from China on November 26.
Vandenberg Space Force Base is used for launching aircraft from the Western Range, as well as testing missiles.
In addition to its mission to establish a military base, the base also houses space for government and commercial organizations, such as NASA and SpaceX.
Officials said He also claimed that the drones in New Jersey are coming from Iranian ‘mothers’ on the East Coast.
Republican Senator Jeff Van Drew said Wednesday that Iran launched the missile ‘probably about a month ago’ after making a deal with China ‘to buy drones, drones and other technologies.’
‘These drones should be shot down,’ he told FOX News, adding that ‘the military is on alert for this.’
However, the Pentagon said there was no evidence that the drones were the work of the enemy and denied that there were Iranian “women” hiding on the beach.
The press secretary of the Pentagon, Sabrina Sing, said briefly that: ‘At this time we have no evidence that this operation is from a foreign organization or the work of the enemy.’
