Two Massachusetts men have been arrested for flying drones "dangerously close" to Boston's Logan Airport.
Robert Duffy, 42, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, were charged with trespassing Saturday night, and they could face additional charges, Boston Police said in a press release.
The suspects attempted to flee when police confronted them on Long Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands. Police are looking for a third suspect who escaped the island in a small vessel.
A Boston Police officer detected the drone near Boston's airport around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Using advanced technology, he identified the operators' position on Long Island, where police found three men inside the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus.
"Upon attempting to make contact, the suspects fled on foot. Two of the three individuals were apprehended and identified as Duffy and Folcik. During the investigation, a drone was discovered inside a backpack carried by Duffy," police said.
The police coordinated with state and federal departments including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS.)
"The Boston Police Department reminds recreational drone operators of the importance of adhering to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety guidelines. Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions,” the police said.
“Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters,” they added.
“Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk.”
The arrests come as public concern mounts over unexplained drone sightings along the East coast.
The drones have led to different theories, ranging from foreign surveillance to an extra-terrestrial invasion or an insidious operation by America's federal government. But the Biden administration said Monday that they have seen no evidence of anything malicious.
White House spokesman John Kirby pointed to "a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars."
Meanwhile, President-elect Trump accused the feds of a cover-up during a Monday press conference at Mar-A-Lago. Trump said he may avoid his New Jersey golf course after drones were seen there.
"The government knows what is happening," Trump told reporters. "Look, our military knows where they took off from. If it's a garage, they can go right into that garage. They know where it came from and where it went. And for some reason, they don't want to comment. And I think they'd be better off saying what it is. our military knows and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense."
