A man was able to get into a plane at Joint Base Andrews, prompting the Air Force inspector general to investigate the breach by an “unauthorized civilian,” an Air Force spokesperson said Friday.
The security breach Thursday was at the base that is home to Air Force One in Maryland. President Joe Biden is flying from Andrews to Wilmington, Del., on Friday afternoon.
According to a release from Joint Base Andrews, an adult male was able to get into a C-40 aircraft from the 89th Airlift Wing, which runs presidential missions, before he was detained. The man, who has two outstanding warrants to his name, was dealt a federal trespassing summons, according to the release.
“There is no indication” that the man had any extremist ties, according to the release. The release said he was unarmed and “did not harm any personnel.”
“This was a serious breach of security and Joint Base Andrews is investigating the incident to determine how this happened so it doesn’t happen again,” said Col. Roy Oberhaus, the vice wing commander of the 316th Wing at Andrews, in the release.
A “comprehensive review of installation security and trends” has been launched, Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said in a statement. Stefanek said the results of the investigation would become public once the investigation is finished.
“We are still gathering information and facts, but we can assure you, installation security is of critical importance to the Department of the Air Force,” Stefanek wrote.
The breach also comes in wake of the deadly Jan. 6 Capitol riots, which has left stricter security measures at the U.S. Capitol. Thousands of National Guard troops will remain in Washington, D.C., through March.
“Everybody takes seriously what happened,” Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said at a briefing Friday.