YouTuber Faces Federal Charges Over Drone Footage of Secret 'Underground Pentagon'
Stuart Dale Bennett, a Maryland-based YouTuber, is confronting serious federal charges after allegedly flying a drone over the highly classified Raven Rock Mountain Complex and posting the footage online. The FBI claims this action violated restricted airspace above one of America's most secure military installations, often referred to as the 'underground Pentagon'.
The Alleged Security Breach
According to an FBI probable cause affidavit reviewed by The Independent, Bennett, who operates the 'Area 82 Surveillance911' YouTube channel, is accused of gathering aerial recordings of the Raven Rock facility. This 650-acre subterranean complex, hidden within a hollowed-out mountain on the Maryland-Pennsylvania border, serves as a secure relocation site for top U.S. officials and critical military operations during nuclear attacks or other catastrophes.
The affidavit, filed on February 12, alleges that Bennett's recordings depicted 'critical infrastructure of importance to national security'. Specifically, two clips titled 'Raven Rock Mountain Complex COG Site (2nd Pentagon)' and 'Blue Ridge Summit / Former Fort Ritchie Communications Site with lots of secret squirrel antennae' were highlighted. Investigators noted that Bennett's channel included video titles identifying sites as 'classified' or 'Top Secret', and contained a folder labeled 'Classified Secret Sites' with approximately seven videos of drone overflights of U.S. Government facilities.
Investigation and Evidence Gathering
The investigation began on September 8, 2025, when an unidentified U.S. military official contacted the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) about a YouTube channel posting drone footage of a sensitive national defense facility. The FBI joined the probe ten days later, tracing the channel 'Area 82 Surveillance911' to a user known as 'mtsxhacker', later identified as Bennett through IP addresses and YouTube account details.
On September 24, a federal magistrate judge approved search warrants for Bennett's residence, vehicle, and person. The following day, FBI agents seized a Potensic Atom drone, four micro-SD cards, and an HP Z240 Tower Workstation from his bedroom. Notably, Bennett's computer monitor displayed his YouTube channel logged in with a video processing for upload.
The Center for Air and Marine Drone Exploitation (CAMDEx), a U.S. Customs and Border Protection unit, extracted contents from one micro-SD card, revealing footage of Raven Rock's 'Site C'—a key communications area—taken on September 6, 2025. The airspace surrounding Raven Rock is restricted, and Bennett 'did not seek, nor was granted' authorization for the overflight.
Digital Trail and Interview
A review of Bennett's computer uncovered Google Maps queries for directions between his home and Raven Rock, visits to websites about the facility, and a saved photo titled '2 hf antenna and microwave towers on top of Raven Rock'. His search history also showed he watched his own 'Raven Rock Mountain Complex COG Site (2nd Pentagon)' video on September 7, 2025.
On November 10, 2025, FBI and NCIS agents interviewed Bennett at the FBI Baltimore Field Office. Bennett admitted to owning and flying drones without proper licensing, acknowledged running the YouTube channel, and stated he knew flying drones over military bases was prohibited. He claimed someone named 'Elliott' had provided him with a list of interesting government sites to fly over, including Raven Rock.
Charges and Potential Consequences
Bennett is charged with the knowing and willful violation of national defense airspace. If convicted, he faces up to a year in prison. He is scheduled for an initial court appearance on February 20. Bennett, who does not have an attorney listed in court records, was unreachable for comment.
Background on Raven Rock Mountain Complex
Strategically located about six miles north of the Camp David presidential retreat, Raven Rock serves as the alternate command center for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and the United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM). In doomsday scenarios, a helicopter squadron from Joint Base Andrews would transport senior government officials to Raven Rock and other hardened bunkers to ensure continuity of government functions, as detailed in historian Garrett Graff's 2017 book, Raven Rock: The Story of the U.S. Government's Secret Plan to Save Itself – While the Rest of Us Die. Notably, Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz reportedly evacuated to Raven Rock on 9/11.
This case underscores the ongoing tensions between public curiosity and national security, highlighting the legal risks associated with unauthorized drone operations near sensitive military installations.
