Two Latvian men arrested inside RAF Molesworth intelligence base

Two Latvian men, aged 36 and 32, were arrested inside RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire, southeast England, in the early hours of 8 October 2026 after a perimeter fence was breached. Both men are Latvian nationals residing in the United Kingdom. They are being held on suspicion of trespass and of entering a prohibited place "for a purpose prejudicial to the UK", counter-terrorism police said.france24.com+1

The arrests matter because RAF Molesworth houses the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre and US intelligence operations covering Europe and Africa. This is the third security incident at a British military site in the past month, according to reporting on the incident. Counter-terrorism police are leading the investigation because of the nature of the offence, and the men were re-arrested under the National Security Act 2023.jpost.com

What the arrests involve

Ministry of Defence Police and Cambridgeshire Constabulary began investigating at about 10pm on 7 October after a security patrol spotted an abandoned vehicle near the edge of the base. Officers found a small hole in the perimeter fence and arrested the two men at about 2am on 8 October. They were initially held on suspicion of trespass on a prohibited site and criminal damage, then re-arrested on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.

Cmdr. Helen Flanagan, head of Counter Terrorism Policing London, said there is nothing to suggest the incident is connected to the events at RAF Fairford the previous week, but that police are keeping an open mind. "Our investigation into this incident is at its very early stages," she said. Officers are searching two addresses in the Peterborough area, about 30km from the base.

RAF Molesworth, a former Second World War airbase now managed as a non-flying facility by the US Air Force, sits 112 kilometres north of London. It hosts the NATO Intelligence Fusion Centre, whose website states it has a workforce of more than 200 and provides information to the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe. The base also holds Washington's intelligence operations in Europe and Africa, according to the CIA website.

What the base houses

The base was founded in 1917 and used by US bombers during the Second World War. From 1990, the RAF began building a new intelligence analysis centre for the US European Command, which evolved into NATO's Joint Intelligence Operations Center Europe. The US European Command said it was aware of the incident but declined to comment on specific force protection measures, adding that US forces remain at the highest state of readiness.

The Molesworth breach follows an incident at RAF Fairford on 27 September, when three white vans were spotted acting suspiciously near the base. Seven men in their 20s were arrested and later released on bail, one a dual UK-Iranian national. The US withdrew its B-1 bombers from Fairford the following weekend. British officials have declined to comment on reports the bombers moved over fears of a drone attack.

On 8 October, a serving Royal Navy member appeared in court charged with attempting to send sensitive information to Russia between November 2024 and May 2025. UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said the government is "highly vigilant" about threats to military installations, describing protections as multilayered, including physical barriers, patrols, surveillance, monitoring, and counter-drone capabilities.

Where the investigation goes next

The investigation continues with two address searches in Peterborough and further examination of the recovered abandoned vehicle. Bomb disposal officers checked the vehicle and found nothing of concern; a precautionary cordon was lifted. Police have not stated a motive for the men's presence at the base. The next development will come as counter-terrorism police pursue the enquiries Cmdr. Flanagan said are "very much ongoing".