Counterterror Police Arrest Two Latvians at RAF Base

Two Latvian men were arrested inside the perimeter of RAF Molesworth in Cambridgeshire. Counter-terrorism police are now leading the investigation.

• 36 and 32: the men's ages; both live in the UK.
• A patrol found an abandoned vehicle near the base around 10 p.m. Wednesday.
• Searchers found a small fence breach and arrested the men around 2 a.m.
• Bomb disposal officers checked the vehicle and found nothing of concern.

Why it matters: Police first held the men for trespass and criminal damage. They then re-arrested them on suspicion of entering a prohibited place for a purpose prejudicial to the UK.

• RAF Molesworth houses U.S. intelligence operations centers for Europe and Africa.
• Last week, men were arrested near RAF Fairford over a suspected plot the government links to Iran.

How 21 sources split on this story

Where they split: Outlets differ on whether to present the arrests as a standalone breach or alongside the Fairford case, which police say is unconnected.

What’s next: Police say the inquiry is at an early stage and focused on why the men were at the site.

• Officers are searching two addresses in the Peterborough area.
• Why were the two men inside the base perimeter?
• Will either man be charged under the National Security Act?