Two Latvian men, aged 32 and 36, were taken into custody near RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire after a Ministry of Defence patrol uncovered an abandoned vehicle with a breach in the perimeter fence.
RAF Molesworth, 100 km north of London, hosts the US Air Force and NATO Intelligence Fusion Center, a hub for intelligence from US Africa Command and NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander in Europe.
The men were first charged with trespassing and criminal damage, then re‑arrested under the National Security Act 2023 for entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom.
Counter‑terrorism officers are probing the incident, citing the nature of the allegations. The investigation also involves searches of two properties in the Peterborough area and a review of the abandoned vehicle, which bomb disposal officers found to be harmless.
Sources say police found no evidence linking the arrests to the Iran‑linked plot that saw men detained at RAF Fairford last week. The UK government has linked that case to Iran, which denied involvement, while US officials cited the threat in moving bombers from Fairford.
The suspects remain in custody and are scheduled for a court hearing on Friday, with authorities preparing for a potential security briefing.