Chinese citizen arrested for flying drone illegally over Vandenberg
Yinpiao Zhou, a Chinese citizen in America on a legal immigrant visa, has been arrested for flying a drone illegally over Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Nearly a mile above Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, a hacked drone soared through restricted airspace for roughly an hour. The lightweight drone photographed sensitive areas of the military facility on Nov. 30, including a complex used by SpaceX, according to federal investigators. The drone then descended back to the ground, where the pilot and another man waited at a nearby park.
Before either could leave however, four security officers from Vandenberg showed up. Initially Zhou lied about what he was doing, hiding the drone under his jacket. At one point however the officers spotted the drone, forcing Zhou to admit the truth as well as delete the footage on the drone.
Neither Zhou or the second man, who remains unidentified, were arrested at that time. Zhou was arrested on December 9, 2024 at San Francisco International Airport, just before he was to board a flight back to China. He is charged with flying a drone illegally out of his line of sight and in a no-fly zone, and remains in custody.
It appears this was an intended spying operation by China or one of its pseudo-companies, attempting to steal more information about SpaceX’s technology in order to copy it. Why Zhou and that other man were not arrested immediately is unclear.
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Yinpiao Zhou, a Chinese citizen in America on a legal immigrant visa, has been arrested for flying a drone illegally over Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Nearly a mile above Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, a hacked drone soared through restricted airspace for roughly an hour. The lightweight drone photographed sensitive areas of the military facility on Nov. 30, including a complex used by SpaceX, according to federal investigators. The drone then descended back to the ground, where the pilot and another man waited at a nearby park.
Before either could leave however, four security officers from Vandenberg showed up. Initially Zhou lied about what he was doing, hiding the drone under his jacket. At one point however the officers spotted the drone, forcing Zhou to admit the truth as well as delete the footage on the drone.
Neither Zhou or the second man, who remains unidentified, were arrested at that time. Zhou was arrested on December 9, 2024 at San Francisco International Airport, just before he was to board a flight back to China. He is charged with flying a drone illegally out of his line of sight and in a no-fly zone, and remains in custody.
It appears this was an intended spying operation by China or one of its pseudo-companies, attempting to steal more information about SpaceX’s technology in order to copy it. Why Zhou and that other man were not arrested immediately is unclear.
Readers!
Please consider supporting my work here at Behind the Black. Your support allows me the freedom and ability to analyze objectively the ongoing renaissance in space, as well as the cultural changes -- for good or ill -- that are happening across America. Fourteen years ago I wrote that SLS and Orion were a bad ideas, a waste of money, would be years behind schedule, and better replaced by commercial private enterprise. Only now does it appear that Washington might finally recognize this reality.
In 2020 when the world panicked over COVID I wrote that the panic was unnecessary, that the virus was apparently simply a variation of the flu, that masks were not simply pointless but if worn incorrectly were a health threat, that the lockdowns were a disaster and did nothing to stop the spread of COVID. Only in the past year have some of our so-called experts in the health field have begun to recognize these facts.
Your help allows me to do this kind of intelligent analysis. I take no advertising or sponsors, so my reporting isn't influenced by donations by established space or drug companies. Instead, I rely entirely on donations and subscriptions from my readers, which gives me the freedom to write what I think, unencumbered by outside influences.
You can support me either by giving a one-time contribution or a regular subscription. There are four ways of doing so:
1. Zelle: This is the only internet method that charges no fees. All you have to do is use the Zelle link at your internet bank and give my name and email address (zimmerman at nasw dot org). What you donate is what I get.
2. Patreon: Go to my website there and pick one of five monthly subscription amounts, or by making a one-time donation.
3. A Paypal Donation or subscription:
4. Donate by check, payable to Robert Zimmerman and mailed to
Behind The Black
c/o Robert Zimmerman
P.O.Box 1262
Cortaro, AZ 85652
You can also support me by buying one of my books, as noted in the boxes interspersed throughout the webpage or shown in the menu above.
So Vandenberg AFB security was able to detect a drone that a guy could hide under his jacket and figure out where it was being operated from. But squadrons of “truck sized” drones flying over sensitive airspace on the US east coast has the entire Pentagone flummoxed.
Something doesn’t pass the smell test…
I recall the old Shah of Iran having a conversation with the Soviet Ambassador to his country on the subject of Soviet spy-plane overflights of his country. This had been going on for a while and was irritating the Iranians no end. The Shah made the complaint and provided evidence. In response, the Ambassador denied it all, saying that he and the leaders of his country had “no idea” where these planes came from.
To which the Shah replied, “if these aren’t your planes, then you won’t mind if we shoot them down.”
The flights stopped.
RZ — “Why Zhou and that other man were not arrested immediately is unclear.”
Perhaps part of our counter-intel operation to see who he talked with from the time he was stopped to the time he was about to board the plane. He had to have been watched, no good way otherwise to know that he was about to beat-feet.
Perhaps the occasional “summary execution in the field” would help too? It DOES act as a deterrent.
Gave them plenty of time to dump/destroy any evidence.
These people are not taking National Security seriously.
I wonder if this is related to SpaceX’s not showing liftoff from Vandenberg any more. That started about a week before this incursion.
mkent, I was thinking exactly the same thing.
SWAG – recording a SpaceX launch video from the ground and your own drone video from the air, the two could be time-correlated. What that allows you to do is . . . ?
I hope they kept the memory card. If they just made him erase it, then recovery is pretty easy (I have tools that do that).
M. Murcek – I agree. something is rotten in the state of Denmar… I mean New Jersey. Those drones are slower and dressed up to look like airplanes. Unless they really are jets snd a lot of people are confused as to how hight they really are.
Some have suggested that it is a Spinner/flying car type VTOL personal air vehicle… likely the Pivotal BlackFly from the looks of it.
It is the first such ready-to-fly product now available commercialy.
Like Moller’s design–except it apparently works.
Adam Savage’s TESTED had an episode where he talked about meeting someone with something that only looked like a shop–no saw-marks on tables, no shavings–nothing.
He didn’t say the name–but it sounded like Moller
Rather odd and disappointing that the Security Officers allowed the EVIDENCE to be erased rather then taking custody of the drone and all electronics the PAIR had on THEM! It may be that they were allowing the PAIR to think they were in the clear and then followed them and their activities. I’m hoping that we are intelligent enough to do that! The fact that one of them was arrested as he was “heading home” is encouraging – the Feds must have known about his travel plans. The charge of flying over a restricted area is much less severe than SPYING! This makes one wonder about the THOUSANDS of Chinese men – MILITARY age Chinese men – who were allowed to stroll in and go ???? I’m sure there are not that many openings at Chinese restaurants!!
Related:
GIONVANI: DRONES: B.O.I. REPROTING REQUIREMENTS
“Three seemingly unrelated items in the news having to do with law makers, government actions and comments, lawyers and the law and justice system. How are they all related?”
https://www.sigma3ioc.com/post/giovani-drones-b-o-i-reporting-requirements
If the NJ drones are real, the only reason for the Alfred E Neuman response from the feds is that they are run by one of the TLAs and are conducting unconstitutional surveillance on US citizens.
I suspect SpaceX stopped broadcast of initial liftoffs out of Vandenberg not because of their activities, but probably because the imagery would reveal other developments under way on the property. Perhaps related to future Vulcan operations or even New Glenn. Those are new vehicles that will need new infrastructure whereas Falcon 9 infrastructure is fully established and operational.
My 2 cents worth anyway.
“1st Civil Psyops Div
Because Physical Wounds Heal”
https://t.ly/H_-6Y
“I wake up
There is another psyop”
https://t.ly/H7Ivp
Maybe they’re here because they can’t find Americans willing to work in the fields, picking the tofu.
Suggestion;
Local surfers would be pleased to claim the Vandenberg break for us again.
Good swells. So I have heard.
(Go Pro) camera rigs on the boards or suits. Other accessories issued as required.
Permits for access, with deep veting prior, we could be a leading edge for the West Coast Anti Drone Respone Team.
Sadly my wetsuit has shrunk over the years, but my 9’10” Yater has not.
U.S.N.
Ciao
They came up with a new smelting process
https://hackaday.com/2024/12/12/ore-to-iron-in-a-few-seconds-new-chinese-process-will-revolutionise-smelting/