Two men have been arrested for breaching the perimeter fence at an RAF base used by US military intelligence, the Met Police have said.
The pair, aged 36 and 32, were arrested on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK after being found inside RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire at 2am on Thursday.
Both men are Latvian nationals who currently reside in the UK, police added.
Security patrols by Ministry of Defence Police at the site identified an abandoned vehicle at around 10pm on Wednesday.
Officers from Cambridgeshire Constabulary also attended and carried out further searches around the site.
A small breach of the perimeter fence was found and both men were arrested at the scene.
They were initially arrested on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage and taken to a Cambridgeshire police station, the force added.
The pair have since been further arrested on suspicion of an offence under section 4 of the National Security Act 2023, namely entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.
The base is home to the US’s intelligence operations centres for Europe and Africa, as well as a Nato intelligence hub, according to the Central Intelligence Agency’s website.
Both men remain in police custody.
The matter is now being investigated by officers from Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP).
Commander Helen Flanagan, Head of CTP London, which is leading the investigation said: “We’re very aware of the recent heightened interest and concern around military sites, but at this stage there is nothing to suggest this incident is connected to the events at RAF Fairford last week.
“Our investigation into this incident is at its very early stages.
“A big part of this is looking at any potential motivation as to why the men were present at the site, but I must stress we are keeping an open mind at this stage and enquiries are very much ongoing.
“As ever, I would ask the public to remain vigilant and if you see anything of concern, then to contact police.”
In a post on X, Defence Secretary Wes Streeting wrote: “Thank you to the MOD and civilian police and security teams who acted quickly and professionally to arrest two individuals at RAF Molesworth.
“We are highly vigilant about potential threats to our military sites and work closely with the police to keep them secure.
“The protection of our bases is multi-layered, including physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring, and counter-drone capabilities.”
Thank you to the MOD and civilian police and security teams who acted quickly and professionally to arrest two individuals at RAF Molesworth.
— Wes Streeting (@wesstreeting) October 8, 2026
We are highly vigilant about potential threats to our military sites and work closely with the police to keep them secure.
The…
A US European Command spokesperson said: “We are aware of the reports.
“It is inappropriate to discuss matters of intelligence, and we will not discuss specific force protection measures.
“We will continue to assess the threat environment surrounding our installations and take appropriate actions to protect our people, our platforms, and the bases where our forces operate from.
“While we assess the global security posture, US forces remain at the highest state of readiness.
“We would also express our gratitude to the UK for the close partnership with US forces on matters of security.”
Searches at two addresses in the Peterborough area are being carried out in connection with the investigation.
The abandoned vehicle was recovered by police and taken to a nearby location for searches.
The force said concerns over the vehicle led to the deployment of specialist Explosive Ordnance Disposal officers to carry out additional checks.
A cordon was put in place – which impacted on local roads – but it has since been lifted after “nothing of concern was found”, police said.
Latvia is a Baltic state and member of the EU and Nato that borders Russia, though relations between the two countries have been strained since Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In 2024, the US’s Defence Intelligence Agency said it had broken ground on a 556 million dollar (£421 million) facility at RAF Moleswoth which will serve as a hub for US military intelligence in Europe and Africa.
The Joint Intelligence Analysis Complex will be home to 1,000 intelligence personnel when it is complete.
RAF Molesworth is also home to the Nato Intelligence Fusion Centre, which the alliance says provides the Supreme Allied Commander Europe and Allied Command Operations with intelligence to support Nato operations.
The base also houses US air force units from the 423rd Air Base Group, which has its headquarters at nearby RAF Alconbury.
The DIA said it does not comment on active investigations.
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