Dutch YouTuber Ties Granzier has been arrested trying to sneak into Area 51 with his friend last Tuesday. Ties, 20, and his friend Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep, 21, had made it three miles into the quarantined area before they were stopped.
Local police and military personnel have been on high alert when a Facebook group went viral for wanting to storm Area 51. Several military experts had to hold meetings in order to understand phrases like "Leroy Jenkins!" and what exactly a "Naruto Run" entailed. The group, "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop Us All" has over one hundred thousand participants set to attend on September 20th. Furthermore the US Airforce has released a statement that, "any attempt to illegally access military installations or military training areas is dangerous."
Recently, the organizer of the Facebook event wanted to cancel due to it potentially being a "FyreFest 2.0". However, there are still several thousand people signed up for the event.
It looks like Ties and Govert were among the die-hards that wanted more answers. Just before being detained, Granzier posted a selfie at the Grand Canyon on his Instagram, telling followers he was headed to Area 51. The YouTuber added a little alien emoji at the end prompting several comments and questions on whether Ties would be showing more the top-secret area.
Nye County Sheriff's Office found their vehicle about three miles in from initial signs reading "No Trespassing," and "Do Not Enter." Police found cameras, a laptop, and even a drone in their car. The two men were found a short way from the vehicle and were promptly detained. Ties and Govert allowed officers to review the footage that they had recorded inside the restricted area.
Although they are from the Netherlands, both Ties and Govert admitted that they spoke and read English. In a video, Nye County Sheriff reported, "...they saw the 'no trespassing' signs at the Mercury Highway entrance to the Nevada National Security Site but they wanted to look at the facility." Reports are unclear at this time how long the two boys will be detained. The YouTubers got close to the facility, but they were stopped before they were able to see anything of real substance. Police are still expecting more people to arrive for the September 20th event, but are actively urging people to not follow through.