Chinese Citizen Took Aerial Images of Vandenberg Space Force Base

A Chinese citizen, 39-year-old Yinpiao Zhou, was arrested and charged after flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base and using it to take aerial photos. A month prior, he allegedly made a Google search for “Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules.”

On December 9, officers arrested Zhou while he was attempting to board a flight to China out of San Francisco International Airport. He made his first court appearance a day later and was charged with the failure to register an aircraft not providing transportation and the violation of national defense airspace.

Zhou is now being held in federal custody. He did not enter a plea, and his arraignment is slated to occur in the next few weeks. If convicted, Zhou could receive up to four years in federal prison.

“This defendant allegedly flew a drone over a military base and took photos of the base's layout, which is against the law,” explained United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “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.”

An affidavit from the case shows that drone detection systems at Vandenberg Space Force Base picked up a signal on November 30. The systems followed the drone around the grounds for almost an hour, tracking it to an altitude of nearly one mile above sea level and back to landing in Ocean Park. Security personnel then went to the park, located Zhou and a man he was with, and found that the drone in question was hidden in Zhou’s jacket.

Authorities proceeded to search the drone under a federal search warrant. They found several aerial images taken over and of Vandenberg Space Force Base. This led to them collecting his cell phone, where they discovered a “Vandenberg Space Force Base Drone Rules” Google search and messages with another person about hacking a drone to fly higher.

Zhou is a Chinese citizen who is permanently living in Los Angeles, California. He most recently returned to the US from China in February, and the man accompanying him at the park most recently flew back on November 26.

FMI: www.justice.gov