A northern California man has been arrested for allegedly flying a drone and photographing Vandenberg Space Force Base. The US Attorney's office said 39-year-old Yinpiao Zhou failed to register his drone as required, and violated national defense airspace.
He was arrested Monday at San Francisco International Airport prior to boarding a flight to China. Zhuo, who lives in Brentwood, is a Chinese citizen and permanent resident of the U.S.
Zhuo and another person were detained at Ocean Park near the Space Force Base in late November after he was seen flying a drone above the base for almost an hour. Agents allegedly found a drone concealed in Zhou’s jacket, which contained photos of the base.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of four years in prison.
Zhou is not accused of espionage. However, a federal complaint viewed by KCBX notes that the day he was seen filming, a rocket with a sensitive payload developed for an intelligence agency blasted off from Vandenberg.
The FBI continues to investigate.
