Trump Praises UK Terror Arrests As Five Detained Near US Air Base
President Donald Trump on Sunday praised British law enforcement following the arrest of five men suspected of preparing an act of terrorism near an air base used by American forces in southwestern England.
Trump spoke briefly to journalists after landing on an airfield tarmac in Illinois, where he pointed to cross-border cooperation in thwarting what he described as a major plot.
“The arrest in the UK was fantastic,” Trump said. “Working with Britain, it was an amazing job. We had them under investigation. They were looking to do big damage to our port, and working with the British worked out great.”
When asked by reporters about the suspects’ identities and which agencies led the operation, Trump said, “It may have been Scotland Yard, I don’t know; we worked with a lot of them. We had them under view for a long time, and we got them.”
The arrests occurred in the early hours of Sunday in the village of Whelford, located near Royal Air Force Fairford in Gloucestershire. British authorities said armed officers intercepted three suspicious vans traveling toward the military installation around 12:45 a.m. local time following calls from nearby residents.
President Donald J. Trump
RAF Fairford serves as a forward operating site for U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command and houses heavy bomber aircraft.
London’s Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command took charge of the investigation. Officials initially arrested the five men on suspicion of explosives offenses before detaining them under the Terrorism Act on suspicion of preparing an act of terrorism.
British authorities declared a major incident in the area and set up a 400-meter safety cordon around the intercepted vehicles. Around 85 nearby households were temporarily evacuated while army explosive ordnance disposal teams inspected the vans and surrounding woodland.
Police stated that the situation was contained and that the five suspects remain in custody for questioning. Authorities have not publicly identified the men or confirmed a specific target or motive.