Tue, May 08, 2018
Bad Guys Forced Agent From Observation Post During Hostage Situation
In as incident last winter in what was only described as a "large U.S. city", criminals used a swarm of small drones to drive an FBI hostage team from its observation post during a hostage crisis.
Joe Mazel, the head of the FBI's operational technology law unit, recounted the incident last week during AUVSI XPONENTIAL in Denver. He said that the team had set up a elevated observation position during the hostage situation, but they soon heard the buzz of small drones, and then the aircraft swarmed around them, making several high-speed passes at the agents and forcing them to abandon their site. "We were then blind," Mazel said. "It definitely presented some challenges."
Defense One reports that while the agency won't say exactly where the incident took place, Mazel says it does show how criminal groups are adapting drone technology to their criminal enterprises. He said that the drones had been carried to the area in backpacks in anticipation of the FBI's arrival, and that they also used the aircraft to keep track of where the agents were positioned using a live YouTube feed.
Mazel said that such counter surveillance measures are the fastest-growing way that criminals are using UAVs. They are also being used for intimidation of police and civilians, and for such things as robberies where a drone can help spot security gaps.
Andrew Scharnweber, associate chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said smugglers are using drones to look for gaps in border coverage and then exploit them. "In the Border Patrol, we have struggled with scouts, human scouts that come across the border. They’re stationed on various mountaintops near the border and they would scout … to spot law enforcement and radio down to their counterparts to go around us," he said. "That activity has effectively been replaced by drones,” said Scharnweber, who added that cartels are able to move small amounts of high-value narcotics across the border via drones with “little or no fear of arrest.”
(Image from file)
More News
Aero Linx: Model Aeronautical Association of Australia MAAA clubs are about fun flying, camaraderie and community. For over 75 years, the MAAA has been Australia’s largest fl>[...]
Touchdown Zone Lighting Two rows of transverse light bars located symmetrically about the runway centerline normally at 100 foot intervals. The basic system extends 3,000 feet alon>[...]
“Discovery and innovation are central to our mission at Virgin Galactic. We’re excited to build on our successful record of facilitating scientific experiments in subor>[...]
How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]
Student Pilot Reported That During Rotation, “All Of A Sudden The Back Of The Plane Kicked To The Right..." Analysis: The student pilot reported that during rotation, “>[...]