Chinese language citizen charged with flying drone over Vandenberg House Drive Base

A Chinese language citizen residing in Los Angeles allegedly flew a drone and took aerial pictures of Vandenberg House Drive Base final month, federal prosecutors stated Monday. 

Yinpiao Zhou, 39, was arrested this week on the San Francisco Worldwide Airport previous to boarding a China-bound flight, the Justice Division stated. He’s charged with failure to register an plane not offering transportation and violation of nationwide protection airspace.

On Nov. 30, drone detections programs on the navy set up in Santa Barbara County detected a drone flying over the bottom, prosecutors stated. 

FBI LEADER SAYS IT’S ‘CONCERNING’ HOW LITTLE HIS AGENCY KNOWS ABOUT MYSTERIOUS DRONES SEEN OVER NEW JERSEY

Officers unveil Vandenberg’s new U.S. House Drive title throughout a base renaming and thirtieth House Wing redesignation ceremony Could 14, Vandenberg House Drive Base, Calif. ((U.S. House Drive photograph by Michael Peterson)

The drone originated from Ocean Park, a public space subsequent to the bottom, and flew for almost an hour. Throughout its flight, the plane traveled to an altitude of just about one mile above floor stage, authorities stated. 

Safety personnel from the bottom went to a park and spoke with Zhou and somebody with him. 

Zhou had a drone that flew over the bottom hid in his jacket, prosecutors stated. 

NEW JERSEY DRONE SIGHTINGS: MILITARY ANALYSTS BREAK DOWN NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS, DOUBT HOBBYISTS AT PLAY

An autonomous AV8 drone. (KVUE)

The drone was later searched and investigators discovered a number of images of the bottom have been taken from above, authorities stated. A search of Zhou’s cellphone confirmed that he performed a Google search one month earlier for the phrase “Vandenberg House Drive Base Drone Guidelines” and messaged with one other particular person about hacking his drone to permit it to fly greater than it may in any other case.

Zhou is a everlasting resident, most just lately coming back from China in February. The particular person with him at Ocean Park had entered the US from China on Nov. 26. 

Zhou faces as much as 4 years in jail. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Vandenberg’s host unit, House Launch Delta 30, helps West Coast launch actions for the Air Drive, Division of Protection, Nationwide Aeronautics and House Administration.

Fox Information Digital has reached out to the navy base.