Citing a growing threat from adversarial drones, Senator Ashley Moody today introduced the Drone Espionage Act, legislation that would make unauthorized videography of U.S. military installations a federal crime.
The bill seeks to modernize the Espionage Act of 1917, which currently does not specifically address video surveillance.
The proposed legislation comes as military bases across the nation report increasing incidents of unauthorized drones flying over sensitive sites.
“It is imperative we keep our bases protected and secure,” Moody stated. “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.”
Joining Senator Moody in introducing the bill are Senators Ted Budd, Tom Cotton, Mike Lee, Bernie Moreno, and Thom Tillis. Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA) has introduced bipartisan companion legislation in the House of Representatives, signaling a unified effort to address this national security concern.
The senators underscored the severity of the threat posed by drone espionage.
Senator Ted Budd warned that “the increasing number of drone incursions over U.S. military bases is a serious threat to our national security.” Senator Tom Cotton added, “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.”
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Congresswoman Kiggans, a Navy veteran representing a district with a strong military presence, echoed these sentiments, stating, “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.”
The need for the Drone Espionage Act is underscored by several documented cases of individuals using drones to surveil military installations:
- In Newport News, Virginia, a PRC national was convicted after flying a camera-equipped drone over a naval shipyard.
- 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 residing in Los Angeles was charged and sentenced for flying a drone and taking images over Vandenberg Space Force Base.
- In June 2020, three Chinese nationals were sentenced for illegal imagery at the U.S. Naval Air Station in Key West, Florida.
Senator Moody has previously expressed concerns about a People’s Republic of China law that compels Chinese nationals to assist the CCP in intelligence gathering.
Earlier this congressional session, she introduced the Stop CCP Visas Act, another legislative effort aimed at curbing espionage and information collection by adversaries on American soil, particularly on college campuses.
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Supporters of the Drone Espionage Act argue that it provides a crucial legal tool to deter and prosecute individuals seeking to exploit technological advancements for nefarious purposes, thereby bolstering the nation’s defense against evolving threats.
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