Portland, Oregon A 38-year-old Aloha man has been charged in federal court after allegedly pointing a laser at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter and possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, prosecutors said Friday.
According to court documents, on Oct. 3, 2025, a CBP helicopter was struck by a green laser, forcing the aircraft to abort its planned landing. The flight crew reported seeing an individual walking near a residence before disappearing from view.
Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) identified the residence and executed a federal search warrant there on Oct. 10. Agents seized a laser device from a bedroom and found more than 100 grams of methamphetamine along with evidence of drug trafficking, authorities said.
“Laser strikes are a serious matter with potentially deadly repercussions. They put the lives of the pilots and the public at risk. Aiming or pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime and will be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford in a statement.
Since June 13, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 34 defendants with federal crimes related to offenses committed near the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland, including assaulting federal officers, failure to comply, and damaging government property.
The suspect remains in custody at the Washington County Jail on a parole violation.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison for aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft and up to 40 years for possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
The case is being investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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