A 71-year-old Canadian man is facing federal charges after he allegedly photographed a classified area at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station using a drone over 3 consecutive days.
A news release from the US Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida claims that Xiao Guang Pan was in the United States on a tourist visa, and conducted unauthorized drone flights over the military base between January 05 and 07 2024.
The charges allege that Pan captured drone photographs of multiple classified and restricted areas without permission from any commanding officer.
According to prosecutors, the documented sites included:
- Space launch complexes at Cape Canaveral, which support high-profile launches for NASA, SpaceX and the US Space Force
- A payload processing facility, where classified and high-value payloads are prepared for space missions
- A submarine wharf at Port Canaveral, a site used for naval operations, including those involving ballistic missile submarines
- Munitions bunkers that store weapons and explosives critical to national security
The US government has expressed heightened vigilance over aerial surveillance attempts, especially near sensitive locations. Lawmakers have recently called for stricter regulations and expanded counter-drone measures to prevent potential espionage or security breaches.
In December, dozens of unclaimed drones were spotted flying over New Jersey causing panic. The White House later asserted that they were hired by federal regulators and “not the enemy”.
Pan has been charged with three counts of use of aircraft for the unlawful photographing of defense installations without permission, and each count carries a potential sentence of up to one year in prison.
The government summoned Pan to appear in federal court in Orlando on February 14 to determine appropriate conditions for his release.
The Drone XL news website has commented on the incident:
“This case highlights the intersection of civilian drone use and military installation security protocols. As commercially available drone technology becomes more prevalent, incidents like this underscore the importance of understanding and respecting legal restrictions around sensitive military installations. The outcome of this case may provide important precedent for future incidents involving unauthorized drone photography of restricted government facilities."
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