At Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, security officers temporarily detained five journalists and two military personnel. The event was supposed to be an exclusive groundbreaking ceremony for a new missile operators’ training facility located near Santa Barbara.
On Monday, reports from outlets like Noozhawk and KEYT indicated that these individuals were mistaken for unauthorized entrants. A convoy, consisting of uniformed public affairs staff and escorted in a government minivan, was halted and subjected to security measures. This included being ordered to exit vehicles while officers pointed guns, employed sirens, and activated barricades at the gate entrance.
“Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts,” stated a spokesperson from Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs. “Each potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a credible threat until proven otherwise.”
The two military personnel, one enlisted and another a junior officer, were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles. Civilians were ordered to remain seated on a curb. Journalists from other outlets such as KSBY-TV and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record were among those held for over 30 minutes, causing them to miss the ceremony.
Noozhawk’s editor in chief, Tom Bolton, commented, “We respect the military’s need to provide security for the base, but what occurred was unfortunate and unnecessary.” He expressed concerns over the potentially dangerous situation of firearms being drawn. Bolton mentioned plans to discuss the incident with base leadership to prevent future occurrences.
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