FBI Recovers 3 F-16 Engines Stolen at Base

The FBI has recovered three F-16 jet engines that were missing at least four days ago from this base in northern Utah, officials said Friday.

“The latest we have on the theft and recovery of the missing jet engines is that they’ve been found, they’ve been located and are in the possession of the government. They were recovered by the FBI,” said Air Force spokeswoman Maj. Donna Pastor in Washington.

But CBS News reported Friday that the engines were never actually missing and that the entire mystery was part of a “Pentagon sting” designed to uncover evidence against a major military theft ring.

NBC News also reported a “sting operation,” adding Friday that members of a theft ring may have thought they were selling the expensive engines to “boat enthusiasts” to power speedboats.

No Details Provided

Pastor said she could not provide any details, such as where the engines were found and whether there were any arrests.

“We have recovered three jet engines stolen from Hill Air Force Base,” said Tim Screen, with the FBI’s Salt Lake City office, which handled the investigation. “Due to the sensitive nature of the ongoing investigation, we cannot say more. The FBI recovered them.”

Sgt. Louis Arana-Barradas, spokesman for Hill Air Force Base, about 35 miles north of Salt Lake City, said: “The engines were discovered missing during the normal course of business.”

The engines used to power F-16 Fighting Falcons are 16 to 20 feet long and weigh about 3,500 pounds each, Arana-Barradas said. They are valued at about $2 million apiece.