By GREG HARDESTY / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

President Barack Obama's visit to Orange County and Los Angeles on Thursday morning led to the arrest of a suspected marijuana smuggler who flew into restricted air space when the president still was aloft in the Marine One presidential helicopter.
After Obama attended a breakfast fund-raiser at a private home in Corona del Mar, he was in the helicopter on his way back to Los Angeles when a private Cessna was intercepted by two F-16 Air Force jets for unintentionally invading the restricted space over Los Angeles, law enforcement officials said.
President Barack Obama's visit to Orange County and Los Angeles on Thursday morning led to the arrest of a suspected marijuana smuggler who flew into restricted air space when the president still was aloft in the Marine One presidential helicopter.
ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER FILE PHOTO

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The North American Aerospace Defense Command said it scrambled two F-16 fighters from March Air Reserve Base in Riverside County to intercept the Cessna at about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.
The F-16s followed the Cessna until it landed at Long Beach Airport at about 12:30 p.m., according to ABC7. There, police discovered about 40 pounds of marijuana inside the plane, which is registered to a resident of San Luis Obispo County, ABC7 reported.
The Secret Service said the president never was in danger.
The Long Beach Police Department will conduct the drug investigation, Long Beach PD spokeswoman Linda Massacani said.
City News Service and The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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