Two Latvian Nationals Charged Under UK Security Act After Breaching US-NATO Intelligence Base

Two Latvian nationals living legally in the United Kingdom were arrested Thursday under Section 4 of Britain’s National Security Act of 2023 after allegedly breaching the perimeter fence at RAF Molesworth, a nonflying military installation that houses sensitive US and NATO intelligence operations, according to Reuters.

The men, ages 32 and 36, were found inside the base around 2 a.m. Thursday following an extensive overnight security sweep. Ministry of Defense Police officers on routine patrol first raised the alarm around 10 p.m. Wednesday after spotting an abandoned vehicle near the perimeter. Bomb disposal specialists cleared the vehicle before armed officers discovered the breached fence and located the two men on the grounds.

Both suspects were initially held on suspicion of trespass and criminal damage before being rearrested under the National Security Act on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom. They remain in custody while counterterrorism detectives execute search warrants at two residential properties in nearby Peterborough, the market city that sits closest to the base.

RAF Molesworth is managed by the US Air Force’s 423rd Air Base Group and hosts intelligence elements supporting US European Command, US Africa Command and the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre. The base’s roots trace back to World War II, when it served the US 15th Bombardment Squadron before being deactivated in 1973 and later repurposed as an intelligence hub.

A $556 Million Expansion Underway

The breach comes as the base undergoes a $556.5 million expansion built around the Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex, a project meant to consolidate 20 separate intelligence facilities and house more than 1,000 personnel under one roof. Construction broke ground on April 12, 2024, and is scheduled for completion in summer 2028.

A 2024 Defense Department release described the project as part of its broader European Infrastructure Consolidation effort, noting it would combine the facilities and personnel into “one location” hosting “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 the facility would support the “US and allies’ shared mission of ‘outpacing our strategic competitors and addressing threats together wherever they may arise.'”

Officials Urge Caution Over Motive

US European Command credited British authorities for their response to the breach. “While we assess the global security posture, US forces remain at the highest state of readiness,” the command said in a statement, adding, “We would also express our gratitude to the UK for the close partnership with US forces on matters of security.”

British officials, however, pushed back against speculation that the incident was tied to espionage or terrorism. Counterterrorism Policing London commander Helen Flanagan said, “We’re very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites.”

“We are keeping an open mind at this stage and inquiries are very much ongoing,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan added that investigators have found no established connection between the Molesworth breach and recent security concerns at RAF Fairford, another UK base that hosts US strategic bombers.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon and the CIA for comment.