Particle.news
Download on the App Store
4 ARTICLES
·
2w ago

CBP Flew Drones for ICE 50 Times, FOIA Records Show

New records point to expanded interagency drone surveillance that has fueled calls to curb domestic use after Predator flights over Los Angeles protests.

Image
Image

Overview

  • Freedom of Information Act data covering March 2024 to March 2025 shows CBP deployed drones at least 50 times to assist ICE, drawn from more than 3,100 missions.
  • The logs also list support for the FBI, the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Southern Command, the Office of the President, and various state and local agencies.
  • In June, CBP confirmed Predator deployments over Los Angeles anti-ICE demonstrations, with flight trackers documenting multiple days of sorties.
  • CBP said the aircraft provided officer-safety surveillance using electro‑optical/infrared cameras and the Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar to detect vehicle and human movement.
  • Civil-liberties groups condemned the protest surveillance, and Rep. Jimmy Gomez introduced a federal ban on military-grade drones over demonstrators that the Los Angeles City Council endorsed on Sept. 16.