A single-engine aircraft carrying drugs broke the temporary flight restriction around LAX as President Barack Obama was returning to the airport aboard Marine One, sources told NBC News.
NORAD fighter jets scrambled out of March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County and immediately surrounded the Cessna 182, escorting it to the Long Beach Airport.
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"After intercepting the aircraft, the F-16s followed it until it landed without incident at approximately (11:30 p.m. PST), where the plane was met by local law enforcement," according to a statement from NORAD.
According to the tail number, the plane is registered to David W. Major and is based in Grover Beach, Calif., near San Luis Obispo.
Sources told NBC News that about 10 kilograms of marijuana were discovered aboard the plane.
Citing operational security concerns, a NORAD spokesman would not comment on how close the Cessna was to Marine One; however, NBC News reported the president was never in danger.
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