A Chinese citizen has been busted after he allegedly flew a drone and snapped aerial images of the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California last month, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Yinpiao Zhou, a 39-year-old permanent US resident, was nabbed at San Francisco International Airport on Monday attempt to flee on a China-bound flight, according to the Justice Department.
“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base’s layout, which is against the law,” United States Attorney Martin Estrada said.
The control tower of Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Aug. 25, 2024. AFP via Getty Images
Zhou had a drone that flew over the base concealed in his jacket, prosecutors said. KVUE“The security of our nation is of paramount importance and my office will continue to promote the safety of our nation’s military personnel and facilities.”
Zhou is accused of flying the unmanned vehicle over the base in Santa Barbara County back on Nov. 30, court papers state.
Drone detection systems tracked the device, which flew for nearly an hour and traveled to an altitude of almost one mile above ground level, to Ocean Park – a public area near the base.
A United Launch Alliance Boeing Delta 4 rocket sits on a launch pad at the base on March 28, 2012. REUTERSBase security personnel immediately went to the park where they allegedly found Zhou with the same drone concealed in his jacket, the filing states.
Federal agents subsequently searched Zhou’s drone and discovered several photos of the base taken from an aerial viewpoint, the complaint alleges.
A search of his cellphone allegedly showed that Zhou had searched Google roughly one month earlier for the phrase “Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules.”
He also sent messages to another person about hacking his drone to try and make it fly higher than it was designed to, according to court docs.
Zhou, who made an initial court appearance in Tuesday in United States District Court in San Francisco, has been with failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and violation of national defense airspace.
He remains in federal custody as prosecutors appeal the judge’s decision to release him.
Zhou, who is listed as living in Brentwood, Ca., is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks, federal prosecutors said.
If convicted, he faces four years in federal prison.
