Man in custody after making bomb claim outside Joint Base Andrews

A man was taken into custody on Friday after arriving at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland and saying he had a bomb in his car, though no explosives have been found, officials said.

The base did not provide details on the detained person but said security shut down the main gate and cleared the area.

Bomb-sniffing dogs did not find any explosives upon an initial sweep of the person’s car. An explosive ordinance disposal robot and an officer wearing a protective suit also checked the car.

The person is being “questioned by base security forces and partner law enforcement agencies,” the base said.

“We take every threat seriously,” said Col. Tyler Schaff, commander of Joint Base Andrews. “Our team took every precaution to keep our airmen and their families safe.”

“Our first responders responded exceptionally well to today’s incident. I am very proud of their efforts to resolve the situation and to keep our base safe and secure,” Schaff said. “I’m also thankful for the exemplary support that we received from our off-base partners, including federal law enforcement.”

No additional information was immediately available regarding the incident, but the base confirmed the person in custody is a civilian with no military ties. The rest of the base remains operational, and the main gate was opened later Friday night.

The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and base security forces are jointly investigating the incident. 

The military facility, located in Prince George’s County, is under the Air Force’s jurisdiction. It is most widely known for housing Air Force One, the president’s aircraft.

Officials launched a review earlier this year after a man was able to gain access to the military installation’s grounds in February and roam for several hours while also boarding a plane designated for senior government leaders, according to a report from the Air Force’s internal watchdog.

The commander of Joint Base Andrews later said that the incident “eroded” public trust in the installation’s security.

Updated at 10:35 p.m.