Two Latvian nationals legally residing in the United Kingdom were arrested Thursday under Section 4 of Britain’s National Security Act 2023 after allegedly breaching the perimeter fence at RAF Molesworth, a sensitive military installation that supports key US and NATO intelligence operations, Reuters reported.
The incident prompted a major counterterrorism investigation into the security breach at the strategic Cambridgeshire base, which serves as an important intelligence center for US military commanders operating across Europe and Africa.
RAF Molesworth is currently undergoing a $556.5 million expansion focused on the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex, or JIAC. The project is intended to bring together 20 intelligence facilities and provide space for more than 1,000 personnel, according to reports.
The two suspects, aged 32 and 36, were found inside the base at about 2 a.m. Thursday following an extensive security search.
Ministry of Defence Police officers on routine patrols first raised the alarm at approximately 10 p.m. Wednesday after discovering an abandoned vehicle close to the installation’s perimeter.
Bomb disposal experts examined the vehicle and cleared it before armed officers identified a breach in the fence and found the two men inside the base.
The men were initially detained on suspicion of trespassing and criminal damage. They were later arrested under the National Security Act on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. Both remain in custody while counterterrorism detectives carry out search warrants at two homes in nearby Peterborough.
RAF Molesworth is a nonflying facility managed by the US Air Force’s 423rd Air Base Group and dedicated to joint intelligence and command operations.
The base hosts intelligence organizations supporting US European Command, US Africa Command and the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre.
The site was used during World War II by the US 15th Bombardment Squadron. The airfield was officially deactivated in 1973 before being transformed into the intelligence center it is today.
Construction of the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex officially began on April 12, 2024, with work at the site starting that spring. The facility is expected to be completed in summer 2028.
KEEP READING: Gunman Killed After Attempted Attack Inside Nashville Federal Courthouse, Police Say
A 2024 Defense Department release said the RAF Molesworth development forms part of the department’s broader European Infrastructure Consolidation initiative.
“It will combine 20 facilities and over 1,000 DIA personnel into one location. Among others, it will host members of the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre, Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System, US Africa Command, US European Command and US Air Force elements in a cross-agency, multi-mission collaboration.”
Defense Intelligence Agency Deputy Director Suzanne White said at the time that the complex would support “the US and allies’ shared mission of ‘outpacing our strategic competitors and addressing threats together wherever they may arise.’”
The Defense Department developed the project using a two-stage procurement process, giving participating agencies an opportunity to offer feedback while helping simplify scheduling requirements.
After the reported intrusion, US European Command commended the rapid response by British authorities.
“While we assess the global security posture, US forces remain at the highest state of readiness,” the command said in a statement.
“We would also express our gratitude to the UK for the close partnership with US forces on matters of security.”
British counterterrorism officials urged caution, saying it was too early to determine whether the incident involved espionage or terrorism-related motives.
“We’re very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites,” said Helen Flanagan, commander of Counterterrorism Policing London.
Flanagan added that investigators have not established a connection between the Molesworth breach and recent security concerns at RAF Fairford, another British base used by US strategic bombers.
“We are keeping an open mind at this stage and inquiries are very much ongoing,” she said.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon and the CIA for comment.
