Two men suspected of flying a drone “dangerously close” to Boston’s Logan International Airport were arrested Saturday evening and charged with trespassing, authorities said.
The arrest on one of the Boston Harbor islands comes as suspected drones continue to roam the skies of New Jersey and Connecticut, alarming residents and prompting calls from some for federal detection equipment — and by others to shoot down the mysterious aerial swarms.
According to the Boston Globe, Robert Duffy, 42, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, were arrested by harbor patrol at a decommissioned health campus shortly before 10:30 p.m. The officers who took them into custody reported investigating “a dangerous drone operation” near the airport.
According to the police, a third suspect is still being sought, who probably fled the island in a small boat.
Boston police said a drone was found in Duffy’s backpack and that the two detained men were expected to be arraigned on Monday.
According to police, a Boston police officer using surveillance technology discovered an “unmanned aircraft system” operating near the airport about six hours before the arrests.
They identified the location, altitude, flight history and operator’s position on Long Island in Boston Harbor.
“Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to aircraft and helicopters,” police said in a statement. “Near collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, endangering lives and property.”
Boston police noted the severity of the response authorities are now considering over the apparent mass drone sightings and coordinated their efforts with the Department of Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission and the Air Force. Logan Airport. traffic control.
US Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on Sunday added his name to a list of officials calling for drone detection technology at the federal level.
Meanwhile, Mike Waltz — the Florida congressman chosen as national security adviser for Donald Trump’s second presidency — said the drone sightings, especially the unexplained ones, exposed gaps between federal agencies and local law enforcement.
“Americans find it hard to believe that we can’t figure out where these came from,” he told CBS’s Face the Nation.
