
Multiple Black Vehicles with MD License Plates at Apple Executive Briefing Center - berkeleynerd
Sources on the scene are reporting multiple black Lincoln town cars and Escalades with Maryland license plates spotted at Apple Executive Briefing Center.
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CWuestefeld
Does the government really waste our tax dollars on Escalades? I can't imagine
why they'd need such a behemoth, but even if they do, why not settle for a
Chevy Tahoe instead? Functionally the same car, $25K cheaper.

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hyperbovine
Rest assured, the gov is not paying anywhere near MSRP for its fleet vehicles.

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lawnchair_larry
Even getting them at "cost" is roughly just as wasteful.

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tertius
They're good tools. I'm okay with that.

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CWuestefeld
Are they better tools than are Chevy Tahoes?

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berkeleynerd
Sources at Apple are reporting multiple Black Vehicles with MD License Plates
at Apple Executive Briefing Center this AM. Multiple CHP escorts. Men with ear
pieces and sun glasses. Rumor is MD license plate indicates NSA involvement.
If anyone at Apple can confirm please let us know.

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daveloyall
CHP=California Highway Patrol?

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berkeleynerd
Yes, that's my understanding. Deeply disturbing news IMHO.

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Someone1234
Why? Just means a VIP is visiting Apple and that is their detail. Might be the
Biden, John Kerry, DHS Chief, or others.

Sure there's a certain intimidation factor when a VIP comes to visit with a
huge security detail, but ultimately if the US Government REALLY wanted to
threaten Apple they would use pieces of paper to do so (e.g. court orders,
sanctions, national security letters, or w/e).

~~~
berkeleynerd
Also the motorcade was there for a very short period of time...under an hour.
Usually VIP visits involve meet-and-greets, etc... Maybe they were delivering
an NSL as you hinted at?

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Flenser
Another theory would be that they were delivering the device for Apple to
crack on their premises. This is based on the assumption that Apple could
crack it (given as has been stated elsewhere that it is an older device
without the secure enclave) but that they refused to hand the tools to do so
over, and wanted to perform the crack themselves and the FBI, given the choice
between a lengthy legal battle and getting the information on the device
quickly, have given in to Apple.

In which case either the device was unlock very quickly or if there's an
equally short visit some time later, it's the FBI picking up the device again.

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deathanatos
Huh. I saw a police escorted (and I mean, they cleared the street of other
vehicles and pedestrians and moved alone escorted) line of cars (black sedans,
black SUVs, black vans) heading south on 6th in SF today at ~9:55 am. Still
curious what it was/is.

There a good video someone captured of it on Twitter[1]. Though her post is
timestamped at 4:36pm, and the weather kinda looks more like it did at around
4.

I have no idea if it's the same one, of course, but how many days do police-
escorted motorcades happen in a metropolis?

Haven't managed to find anything on an actual news site.

[1]:
[https://twitter.com/Honeybeast/status/700116621952552961](https://twitter.com/Honeybeast/status/700116621952552961)

[2]:
[https://twitter.com/search?q=sf+motorcade](https://twitter.com/search?q=sf+motorcade)

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berkeleynerd
I've contacted the San Jose Mercury News...hopefully they can get a reporter
on site to photograph what must be a very intimidating moment for the folks at
Apple.

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sfresident
According to FlightAware data, a Boeing 747SP, tail number N007JB, was
scheduled to depart SFO around 4pm Pacific.

It's interesting because FAA says there is no such N number and 007JB is
obviously a play on James Bond.

A jet of that size would absolutely be capable of carrying multiple vehicles
and agents.

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tanderson92
Can you provide a link or alternative data source? I tried the typical
flightaware link you would expect and did not observe what you said.

[https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N007JB](https://flightaware.com/live/flight/N007JB)

~~~
sfresident
Unfortunately, I was stupid and didn't think to screenshot it. I did see it
there for a while, though; it was a SFO -> LAX flight plan. I know FlightAware
has a process by which you can remove flights if you can prove you've got a
right to do so (e.g. Owner of aircraft)

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berkeleynerd
Source indicates cars are leaving now. Nothing on the twitters so far.
Hopefully someone will chime in soon. If I see anything in my news feed I'll
post it here.

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BWStearns
You scared them away :p

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krapp
Is there any actual, credible _evidence_ of this taking place? Photos? Apple
employees on the record? Anything?

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messick
Nope. I see 3-4 tourists taking pictures of the "1 Infinite Loop" sign every
time I go to the main campus, yet not one of them took a picture of the giant
motorcade that allegedly hung out in front of IL5 for an hour.

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berkeleynerd
According to my source at Apple HQ a TV van is on the way. We should see some
news coverage soon with any luck.

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krapp
This doesn't seem like a story worth sending a live truck for, but OK. Do you
know what station it's from? The story would also probably be posted on that
station's website.

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bewatson
Interesting they have MD plates. Why not just have local NSA cars have CA
plates?

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HillRat
Based on open sources, NSA has a fleet of about 100 vehicles at most in CONUS,
so they would be more likely to fly vehicles cross-country if DIRNSA needed to
use a fleet vehicle. Having said that, NSA doesn't just arbitrarily get
involved in domestic law enforcement cases, even ones involving crypto, so
let's wait to see if there's more evidence than a random HN post to support
this allegation.

~~~
berkeleynerd
This is a completely fair comment and my source certainly isn't fully aware of
the situation...they just relayed what they saw out the window and some
discussion among staff. I wanted to make sure this information was recorded
for posterity at the time it happened in the (unlikely) event Tim Cook was
taken away in hand-cuffs or something similarly dramatic were to happen. I'm
hoping someone from Apple feels brave enough to confirm the events here on HN.
Ideally with a few pictures showing the motorcade. I doubt Apple PR will
comment.

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ProGamerGov
Did your source take anyone photos of the event with their phone?

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berkeleynerd
Honestly, I didn't feel at liberty to ask and none were volunteered. I've been
hoping someone from Apple would pick up on this thread and post them here.

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ProGamerGov
Are these the vehicles in the convoy to Apple you were describing?

[https://twitter.com/Honeybeast/status/700116621952552961](https://twitter.com/Honeybeast/status/700116621952552961)

My knowledge of vehicle types is subpar.

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grmarcil
No, those are all Ford. First three are Transit vans, then an Explorer and a
Crown Vic.

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messick
There is no parking specific for the "Apple Executive Briefing Center". Also,
thousands of employees, and lots of people from off the street, would have
seen the cars and someone would have uploaded something to Instagram/Twitter.

This reads like something made up by someone who has never actually been to
Infinite Loop.

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joering2
Yes true it was just conspiracy theory... like you know.. that government
spies on you and stuff like that.

Nothing to see here those are not the droids you looking for!

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berkeleynerd
Just a follow-up to correct the record as much as possible. I believe this
motorcade was related to the Prime Minister of Malaysia's visit to Apple per
the following tweet. Hat tip to the redditor @frenvedd over on r/apple for
this information!

[https://twitter.com/DelFazli/status/700133655444746241](https://twitter.com/DelFazli/status/700133655444746241)

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camillomiller
Thanks Mr James Comey. We have finally found our generation's Edgar Hoover.

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ProGamerGov
Anyone have any images of the event? Was anyone able to actually photograph
the event, and of so, when can we expect to see the images?

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AnimalMuppet
Any black helicopters?

;-)

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lawnchair_larry
Good thing they probably spent about 100k on this cloak and dagger circus,
when all they really needed was a single gov employee taking an uber ride.

