Foreign nationals flying drones over US military sites raises 'espionage' concern: expert

Federal officials face a looming threat of foreign nationals utilizing drones to surveil United States military bases after two recent arrests and a string of mysterious incursions suggest the country's airspace is ill-equipped to handle the rapidly evolving technology. In late 2024, the Department of Justice announced charges against Yinpiao Zhou, 39, for allegedly flying a drone over Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and taking photos of the facility. The Chinese-American citizen was detained as he attempted to board a China-bound flight and was charged with violation of national defense airspace and failure to register an aircraft. "Anyone operating a drone over a restricted space, like a military base, would be subject to prosecution," Ken Gray, a former FBI agent and military analyst, told Fox News Digital. "A foreign national operating [a drone] raises a concern about that person being involved in some type of espionage or intelligence gathering."