Two Latvian men arrested at RAF Molesworth as counterterrorism probe continues

Counterterrorism police in the United Kingdom are continuing to investigate a security breach at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire after two Latvian men were arrested inside the base. Police said the men, aged 36 and 32, were detained in the early hours of Thursday after a small breach was found in the perimeter fence. A security patrol had earlier spotted an abandoned vehicle near the site, which houses US and NATO intelligence hubs.

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Officers said the men are being held on suspicion of trespass and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK. Both men are Latvian nationals living in the UK, according to police. Commander Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said the investigation is at an early stage and that enquiries will focus on the men's possible motivation.

She also said there is nothing at this stage to suggest a link with the incident at RAF Fairford last month. The case has drawn attention because RAF Molesworth is a non-flying facility managed by the United States Air Force and is used for intelligence-related operations. Publicly available information cited by police says the base hosts US intelligence operations for Europe and Africa and is also a NATO intelligence hub.

That makes any breach at the site a matter of national security concern, even while investigators say the motive remains unknown. The arrests come amid heightened concern about security at military sites in the UK after the separate incident at RAF Fairford on 27 September, when seven men were arrested and later released on bail. Police have said the two cases are not currently believed to be connected, but the timing has increased scrutiny of perimeter security and access controls at sensitive bases.

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The broader context is a series of recent incidents that have prompted closer attention from authorities responsible for protecting military infrastructure. RAF Molesworth has a long history as a military airfield, but its current role is tied to intelligence work rather than flying operations. That role gives the site strategic importance for both the US and NATO, particularly because of its links to operations in Europe and Africa.

The presence of allied intelligence functions at the base helps explain why counterterrorism officers are leading the inquiry. What remains unclear is how the men entered the site, what they were doing there, and whether anything was found in the abandoned vehicle. Police have not said whether further arrests are expected or whether additional security measures will follow.

The investigation is continuing, and officials have said they are keeping an open mind while they examine the circumstances of the breach.

Two Latvian men have been arrested after a breach at RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, a Royal Air Force base in southeast England that houses US and NATO intelligence operations. Counter-terrorism police said the men were detained inside the site in the early hours of Thursday after officers found a small breach in the perimeter fence. The arrests have prompted an investigation into suspected trespass and entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the United Kingdom.

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Police said the men are aged 36 and 32. According to the statement, a security patrol first spotted an abandoned vehicle near the base before officers identified the breach and made the arrests. The case is being handled by counter-terrorism police, reflecting the sensitivity of the site and the intelligence functions based there.

Authorities said they are keeping an open mind, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest the incident is connected to a separate event at RAF Fairford last week. RAF Molesworth is a non-flying facility managed by the US Air Force and is home to the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre. The base also hosts US intelligence operations in Europe and Africa, according to publicly available information cited by police.

Its role makes any security breach significant, even when the immediate motive is not yet known. The arrests therefore raise questions about perimeter security at a site linked to allied intelligence work. The incident comes only days after a major security event at RAF Fairford in southwest England, where seven men were arrested on 27 September and later released on bail.

Following that incident, the United States withdrew B-1 bombers stationed at the base. Police have said the nature of the threat at Fairford remains unclear, but the timing has increased attention on military site security in the United Kingdom. The two cases are not currently believed to be linked, although investigators have not ruled anything out.

RAF Molesworth has a long history as a military airfield and is now used for intelligence-related operations rather than flying activity. That makes it part of a wider network of facilities supporting US and NATO interests in Europe. The presence of the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre, which says it has a workforce of more than 200, underlines the strategic importance of the site.

Any intrusion there is likely to be treated as a national security matter rather than a routine trespass case. What remains unclear is the men's motive, whether they acted alone, and how they were able to reach the base interior after the fence was breached. Police have not said what, if anything, was found in the abandoned vehicle or whether further arrests are expected.

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