In a federal courthouse today, Hector Miranda-Mendoza faced his initial hearing after prosecutors charged him for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, specifically targeting a Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) helicopter over the skies of Portland. According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the incident, which occurred on the evening of September 27, placed pilots and the public in serious danger, with U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford underscoring the reckless nature of the act: “Aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft endangers lives and is a federal crime.”
Miranda-Mendoza, who is 35, admitted to law enforcement that he had recently obtained the high-powered laser and was aware of its potency. Believing the CBP craft was a drone, he shone the laser multiple times—a risky act, as the intense light could cause temporary blindness or disorientation for pilots, potentially triggering catastrophic events. Investigators tracked the source of the laser to a residence in Portland using sophisticated mapping systems aboard the helicopter, tying it to Miranda-Mendoza. The FBI’s Douglas A. Olson described the act as one that “endangered the lives of federal law enforcement officers” and stressed the FBI’s commitment to aggressively prosecuting any individual targeting federal agents, as reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office…