A Portland-area man has been charged by the feds with pointing a laser at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter.
Area resident Brian Keith Kapileo Nepaial, 38, allegedly pointed a green laser at a CBP helicopter on Oct. 3, causing the pilot to have to abort a planned landing, according to a Department of Justice press release.
“The flight crew observed an individual walking near a residence and disappearing,” the press release continues. “The [FBI] identified the residence and, on October 10, 2025, executed a federal search warrant at the residence.”
In addition to finding a laser in Nepaial’s bedroom, they also found 100 grams of methamphetamine, as well as evidence of drug trafficking.
A Portland-area man has been federally charged for allegedly using a laser to try to blind a pilot flying a Customs and Border Protection helicopter. The pilot had to abort the planned landing.
When law enforcement arrived at Brian Keith Kapileo Nepaial’s home, they found meth… pic.twitter.com/qyTprLNw2U
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) October 17, 2025
“Laser strikes are a serious matter with potentially deadly repercussions,” U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford said in a statement. “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.”
Nepaial faces five years in federal prison for the laser pointer and 40 years in federal prison for the meth.
He reportedly has an extensive criminal history:
He is an upstanding citizen… pic.twitter.com/NZ3peieSvj
— Michael O. Weber (@MugshotMike541) October 17, 2025
He’s the second Portlander in weeks to be charged for pointing a laser at federal aircraft.
Earlier this month, illegal alien Hector Miranda-Mendoza, 35, was also charged with aiming a laser at a CBP helicopter on Sept. 27.
“Miranda-Mendoza pointed a green beam … at two Portland police planes, each a Cessna Skylane 182 and a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Airbus H125 helicopter,” according to Oregon Live.
The CBP helicopter flight crew later said that after they took off and began circling the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building in Portland, they started to get “lit up” by a laser.
The crew then flew away from the ICE building to try to find the origin of the laser. Along the way, they were hit again.
“One of the pilots in the helicopter reported a ‘flash along the cockpit’ and had to put on a mask, while another crew member was hit in the eyes by the beam and diverted his gaze,” Oregon Live notes.
They eventually found the source, and the police were called to investigate. At the home, they found four illegal aliens, including Miranda-Mendoza.
NEW: DHS identifies the 4 illegal aliens arrested at a Portland residence on Saturday where a laser was being pointed at a CBP helicopter during protests. They include aliens with priors for meth possession & DUI. All are Mexican nationals in ICE custody and are being processed… pic.twitter.com/ZLZ5a1jbPb
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 1, 2025
Miranda-Mendoza, for his part, claimed he was just showing off the laser to his friends and had thought the helicopter was just a drone.
“He knew it was strong and shot far, but did not know the exact range,” an FBI agent wrote in an affidavit reviewed by Oregon Live. “He thought the helicopter was a drone at first, because it kept circling at a distance that was too far to hear the rotor blades.”
FBI Portland just took down a residence of a suspect who allegedly targeted CBP officers – all four individuals located in the house are in the U.S. illegally and now in custody. Come after law enforcement officers and this FBI will put you away. @FBIPortland https://t.co/qwEJdwzwHQ
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) September 30, 2025
A Portland Antifa group, meanwhile, has been accused of planning laser attacks with the purpose of trying to crash CBP/ICE aircraft.
A Portland Antifa blog has announced that at 9 p.m. on Oct. 11, they plan to organize a laser attack to try to crash a federal aircraft flying over the ICE facility.
Antifa plan to gather at multiple locations across the city and deploy lasers in an attempt to ground all “spy… pic.twitter.com/kDCxBeeqOU
— Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) October 9, 2025
Writers and editors can be contacted at [email protected] with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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