Overview

• Open‑source flight trackers documented multiple MQ‑9 flights over Los Angeles starting June 7, and CBP confirmed it provided manned and unmanned aerial support.
• Homeland Security described the missions as offering situational awareness and officer safety with EO/IR sensors and live video downlinks to partner agencies.
• Reporting details advanced capabilities including wide‑area tracking and an AI system known as VaDER that can detect small objects and moving targets.
• DHS posted drone video on June 10 portraying “LA rioters” to justify National Guard deployment, though the footage was not confirmed to be from a Predator.
• Use over demonstrations marks a break from prior practice after a 2020 Minneapolis flight, spurring Rep. Jimmy Gómez’s bill to ban such surveillance and a Sept. 16 Los Angeles City Council endorsement.