INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Representational imageA 71-year-old Canadian man who flew a DJI Mavic 3 Pro drone over restricted military locations at Cape Canaveral has
actually pleaded guilty to federal charges, offering brand-new details into how an ordinary tourist utilized high-end customer drone tech to
breach a few of Americas most safe airspace.Xiao Guang Pan has admitted in a plea agreement that he launched his powerful drone 9 separate
times in early January 2025 to capture thousands of high-resolution pictures of Cape Canaveral Space Force Station a site important to US
area and defense operations.According to court documents shared by Florida Politics, Pan flew the drone from a public parking lot near Port
Canaveral between January 5 and 7
Over those 3 days, his DJI Mavic 3 Pro geared up with a Hasselblad cam and 28x hybrid zoom recorded 1,919 images and videos
Of these, nearly 250 images and videos revealed delicate military areas such as: Payload processing facilitiesRocket launch padsMunitions
storage bunkersA wharf for submarinesSecurity checkpointsMission control centersMany of these areas are thought about crucial to national
defense under United States law, and photographing them without authorization breaks Title 18, Section 795 of the US Code.Advertisement -
scroll for more contentPans tool of choice, the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, is among the most sophisticated customer drones on the marketplace
Its 4/3-inch Hasselblad sensing unit, 46-minute flight time, and omnidirectional challenge sensing make it ideal for expert imaging and, as
this case proves, possibly for espionage.Despite DJIs integrated geofencing implied to avoid flights in limited zones, Pans drone
experienced no flight constraints
According to private investigators, his phone included screenshots of Cape Canaveral satellite images, recommending he knew what he was
targeting.Shortly after this occurrence, on January 13, DJI announced that it wasscrapping its proprietary geofencing system in favor of
official Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) data across the United States
The drone maker was fast to point out that this advancement was prepared months back, and that the move mirrored similar changes the company
As part of the plea offer, Pan has actually pleaded guilty to three counts of photographing defense setups utilizing an unmanned aircraft
Each count brings approximately one year in federal prison and a $100,000 fine, though prosecutors have hinted theyll suggest a lighter
sentence.Pans sentencing is set up for October 1, 2025, in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida
He remains out on bond however might deal with deportation and a lifetime ban from returning to the United States.In the meantime, federal
officials have highlighted this wasnt an isolated occurrence
In recent months, theres been a surge in suspicious drone activity near military setups across the country, triggering require harder drone
guidelines and much better airspace enforcement.For drone enthusiasts, this case serves as a wake-up call: flying near delicate locations,
unintentionally or otherwise, can land you in severe legal trouble.More: DJI releases Power 1000 V2, however not for United States
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