Second man accused of shining laser at federal helicopter in Oregon
PORTLAND – A second man is accused of shining a laser at a cockpit crew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter that has circled Portland neighborhoods near immigration protests.
Brian Keith Kapileo Nepaial aimed a laser pointer at the helicopter on Oct. 3 as it was flying back toward the airport in Hillsboro, forcing the crew to abort its planned landing, a federal affidavit alleges.
The helicopter instead took photos of the spot where the laser appeared to be coming from, according to the affidavit.
The crew noticed a man walking near a home and disappearing, the affidavit said.
The FBI began an investigation and obtained a warrant to search a home in Aloha.
Agents raided the home on Oct. 10 and confiscated a laser from a nightstand beside a bed in a third-floor bedroom with Nepaial’s driver’s license found on the bed, the affidavit said. Agents also found 129 grams of methamphetamine in the bedroom, according to the court records.
Nepaial, 38, who was on probation in Washington County for distribution of methamphetamine and heroin, was arrested on new charges in Washington County, including possession and delivery of methamphetamine within 1,500 feet of a school.
He remains in custody in the Washington County Jail, where his bail has been set at $500,000.
He is also now facing federal allegations of aiming a laser at an aircraft and possession of methamphetamine. He has not appeared yet in federal court on the allegations.
Another man was charged earlier this month, accused of shining a laser at government helicopters and planes circling the Portland ICE building on Sept. 27, the day President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he was authorizing federal control of Oregon National Guard troops to deploy to “war-ravaged” Portland.
Federal government helicopters and police planes have circled Portland for hours on many nights since at least Sept. 27.
Federal flight tracking information suggests at least a Sikorsky UH-60A Black Hawk helicopter, belonging to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and a light-utility Airbus Helicopter H125, belonging to Customs and Border Protection, have flown in and out of nearby Hillsboro Airport on recent nights.
According to the Federal Aviation Administration, a one-mile nautical radius encompassing South Portland is temporarily restricted air space for “special security reasons.” The restriction was scheduled to be in place from Sept. 17 to Friday, according to the administration.
Aircraft operating in that space are in support of national defense, homeland security, law enforcement and firefighter, search-and- rescue or disaster response missions, according to the FAA.