The Trump administration has issued a stern warning of up to 20 years in federal prison for anyone who shines lasers at aircraft, a threat that comes just a day after an anarchist website encouraged a mass laser attack on law enforcement helicopters this Saturday.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) office in Portland, Oregon, used an X post on Thursday to detail the severe penalties, a clear response to a blog post by a leftist website that urged locals to “fill the skies with lasers” aimed at federal helicopters.
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According to the FBI, those who engage in this “incredibly dangerous” tactic could face charges for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, which carries up to five years in prison, or even destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities, which can result in a 20-year sentence.
The Call to Action
The blog site, “Rose City Counter-Info,” published its call to action on Wednesday. The post explicitly states that the goal is to impair pilots’ vision and force the aircraft to land.
“If enough lasers are pointed at the aircraft, we think it will not be able to safely stay in the air for long enough to continue to pinpoint the source for law enforcement,” the anonymous post read. The authors added that the large number of participants would make it “difficult to focus on a single person.”
The blog also offered instructions on how to evade capture, advising readers to “Be ready to dispose of the laser if you need to — wear gloves and clean it with alcohol in case you have to toss it in a hurry. Consider taking precautions to keep DNA off of it as well.”
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“It won’t take many of us to ground the helicopters!” the post concluded.
‘Antifa Domestic Terrorists WILL NOT Overrun Our Cities’
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) quickly condemned the plan. In a Thursday X post that included a screenshot of the blog, the DHS stated, “Antifa domestic terrorists WILL NOT overrun our cities. We will bust their networks and bring every one of them to justice.”
The DHS also noted that Rose City Counter-Info is one of several “doxxing” websites that have previously revealed the names and home addresses of immigration agents in Oregon.
The announced Saturday attack threatens to escalate ongoing tensions and violent anti-government protests that have plagued Portland for months. Shining a laser at an aircraft can temporarily blind or impair a pilot’s vision, making flying unsafe. Just last month, federal prosecutors in Portland charged a man for allegedly shining a laser at a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter mid-flight.
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In addition to the planned laser attack, the DHS also reported escalating violence elsewhere, including a demonstration in Chicago last Saturday where individuals allegedly “rammed federal agents with their vehicles” and threw “smoke, gas, rocks, and bottles” at law enforcement.
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