What happened
British counter-terrorism police have arrested two Latvian men near a Royal Air Force base in southeast England that houses US and NATO intelligence operations. The men, aged 36 and 32, were found inside the RAF Molesworth base after a perimeter fence was breached. They are being held on suspicion of trespass and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
The incident occurred when a security patrol spotted an abandoned vehicle near the base, leading to the discovery of a small breach in the fence. The men, who are Latvian nationals residing in the UK, were arrested in the early hours of Thursday.
This incident comes days after a major incident at another UK base, RAF Fairford, which led to the arrest of seven men and the subsequent withdrawal of US B-1 bombers stationed there. However, authorities have stated that there is currently no evidence to suggest a connection between the two incidents.
RAF Molesworth is a non-flying facility managed by the US Air Force and hosts the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre, as well as Washington's intelligence operations in Europe and Africa. The base has a workforce of over 200 people, according to the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre's website.
