WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, with the advent of drone
technology and the rise in adversarial drones flying over military
installations, Senator Ashley Moody introduced the Drone Espionage Act which
would make it a federal crime to take unauthorized videos of U.S. military installations.
Currently it is not a federal crime under the Espionage Act of 1917 to take
unauthorized videos of U.S. military installations.
The legislation updates the Espionage
Act of 1917 to include videography of sensitive national defense sites as a
crime and would strengthen current authorities to hold individuals who seek to
threaten our national defense accountable. Senator Moody was joined by Senators
Ted Budd, Tom Cotton, Mike Lee, Bernie Moreno and Thom Tillis. Representative
Jen Kiggans (R-VA) introduced bipartisan companion legislation in the House of
Representatives.
Senator Ashley Moody said, “Florida is home to 21 military
installations and three combatant commands—it is imperative we keep our bases
protected and secure. I am fighting to modernize our laws to meet this
technological advance and protect our nation against bad actors wishing to
collect intelligence on American soil. As I have pointed out before, with the
introduction of my Stop CCP Visas Act, adversaries are always looking for new
ways to steal information. The Drone Espionage Act is yet another tool we can
add to our toolbox to prevent our enemies from spying on us right here at
home.”
Senator Ted Budd said, “The increasing number of drone
incursions over U.S. military bases is a serious threat to our national
security. To safeguard our military operations and prevent sensitive
information from falling into the hands of our adversaries, we must strengthen
deterrence by enforcing stricter criminal penalties to prevent these
violations.”
Senator Tom Cotton said, “Our adversaries are increasingly
trying to use drones to spy on U.S military sites. This bill ensures our laws
keep pace with modern video surveillance tactics and provide tools to prevent
drone espionage.”
Senator Mike Lee said, “Our adversaries have
increasingly attempted to use drones to video our military installations. The
Drone Espionage Act provides a simple yet effective fix to help protect our
national defense infrastructure.”
Congresswoman Jen Kiggans said, “As a Navy veteran who represents
of one of the most military-heavy districts in the country, I know how critical
it is to safeguard our national defense infrastructure and protect sensitive
national security information. A key step in achieving those protections is to
ensure individuals cannot use drone videography to spy on our national defense
sites. I am proud to introduce the bipartisan Drone Espionage Act to hold these
bad actors accountable, impose serious repercussions, and protect our national
security. As China and other adversaries ramp up threats and increase their
drone usage, we must send a clear message that we will not tolerate unlawful
surveillance on American soil.”
BACKGROUND…
There have been several documented cases
from recent years that underscore the vital importance of this legislation,
including but not limited to:
In Newport News, Virginia (where the
U.S. Navy has a massive presence), a PRC national was convicted after flying a
drone with a camera over a naval shipyard. He was a student at the University
of Minnesota.
In February 2025, a Canadian man was
charged with using an unmanned aircraft to photograph Patrick Space Force Base.
In November 2024, a Chinese citizen
living in Los Angeles was charged and sentenced for flying a drone over
Vandenberg Space Force Base and taking images.
In June of 2020, three Chinese nationals
were sentenced for illegal imagery at U.S. Naval Air Station in Key West,
Florida.
Senator Moody has also been voicing
concerns regarding a People’s Republic of China law requiring Chinese nationals
to assist the CCP in intelligence gathering. Earlier this Congress, Senator
Moody introduced the Stop CCP Visas Act to crack down on espionage and
information collection for adversarial purposes occurring on college campuses.
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