Drone Pilot Sentenced for Illegally Flying Over Vandenberg Space Force Base

Drone Pilot Sentenced for Illegally Flying Over Vandenberg Space Force Base

A California man has been handed a four-month jail sentence for operating a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base and capturing images of the facility. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, Yinpiao Zhou, a resident of Brentwood, California, piloted the drone on November 30, 2024, for nearly an hour, taking 13 photographs of the base.

Vandenberg's security forces utilized tracking systems to follow the drone's path to a park located about two miles away. There, law enforcement discovered Zhou attempting to conceal the drone in his jacket, as detailed in a court affidavit.

This week, Zhou was sentenced to four months in prison, which he has already completed, and will now enter a year of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $225 fine, as reported by the Orange County Register.

Zhou is a Chinese citizen and a lawful permanent resident of the United States. He was arrested at San Francisco International Airport while trying to board a flight to China, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

The Justice Department further disclosed that Zhou's mobile phone revealed previous searches for "Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules," as well as messages discussing how to hack his drone for higher altitudes.

This incident occurred shortly after the U.S. Space Force conducted a launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg on November 6, 2024. Drone incursions over sensitive military sites have been on the rise in recent years, although U.S. officials have yet to connect these activities to any specific group or individual.

Stay tuned for updates as authorities continue to monitor drone activity around critical military installations!