ICE's eyes in the sky

Hey there, Joseph here with some data we managed to get out of Customs and Border Protection: a spreadsheet detailing the agency's drone flights over the last year or so, which includes the agency's MQ-9 Predator drones. The data shows CBP flew drones to help ICE 50 times during that time period. The data shows CBP flying the drones for other agencies too and even the Office of the President. Check out the full story below.

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) flew its drones, which could include the agency’s MQ-9 Predator drones, at least 50 times last year in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to new data obtained by 404 Media.

The data shows that CBP continues to support not just ICE but other federal agencies, such as the FBI, with its fleet of drones. In June, 404 Media reported CBP flew two high-powered Predator drones above protests in Los Angeles, flights which CBP said were to provide “officer safety surveillance.”

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“This is especially concerning, given ICE’s ongoing unlawful immigration sweeps and this administration’s concerted effort to suppress any dissent,” Jennifer Lynch, general counsel for activist organization the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), which has previously researched CBP’s use of drones, told 404 Media. “These records show that CBP has never stopped operating its drones on behalf of other federal, state, and local agencies, including ICE. In fact, the program has expanded exponentially since EFF first reported on it in 2012.”

The new data spans more than 3,100 flights between March 2024 and March 2025. It includes the date of each mission, its category such as whether the flight was for training or enforcement purposes, the mission type (such as reconnaissance against a target), the region the flight took place in, which branch was responsible, and a column that often mentions if the flight was in support of another agency.

For example, on October 22, 2024, CBP flew a drone as part of “investigative support” for ICE as part of its enforcement mission, according to the data. CBP also flew drones for ICE over the next four days, the data shows.

On November 7, 2024, CBP flew a drone to assist ICE with a “special security event,” according to the data.

On February 21, 2024, CBP helped ICE with “reconnaissance surveillance target acquisition,” the data shows.

In all, CBP flew drones to assist ICE in some capacity a total of 50 times during the one year period the data relates to. 404 Media obtained the data through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request with CBP. The majority of the data covers the Biden presidency, and shows that CBP collaborated regularly with ICE during that administration. But given Trump’s recent crackdowns on protests and the administration’s mass deportation effort, Lynch is concerned about that collaboration during the current presidency.

The data also shows CBP flying drones to assist the U.S. Coast Guard; the DEA and FBI with investigative support; U.S. Southern Command (SOUTHCOM), a part of the military; and in one case the Office of the President of the United States. Other flights are listed as assisting “states” and “local,” indicating CBP assisted local and state agencies too. Some flights are for relocating the drones or for maintenance, the data shows. 

The EFF previously obtained similar drone flight logs. Some of those records list more specific organizations CBP has flown drones for, including particular state bodies. In 2014, the EFF found CBP loaned its drones to other agencies more than 700 times in three years.

A screenshot from the data.

CBP’s fleet includes around ten drones, according to a presentation available online. They include the Predator B, which is essentially an unarmed version of the same drone the U.S. flies overseas as part of combat operations. The drones are typically loaded with cameras and other surveillance technology. After flying Predator drones during the recent Los Angeles protests, the official Department of Homeland Security X account posted footage collected by the drones.

“CBP’s drones are equipped with many different types of surveillance technology, from thermal imaging to high definition cameras to tools that can track movement over time. Smaller drones can identify faces and license plates while larger drones like the MQ-9s used to surveil protestors in Los Angeles have extensive range and can stay in the air for 30 hours at a time,” Lynch said.

CBP told 404 Media drones are a critical part of the agency’s border security mission. The agency said this includes illicit border crossings, investigations, intelligence, and reconnaissance patrols. CBP said its drones are only equipped with electro-optical/infrared cameras and Vehicle and Dismount Exploitation Radar (VADER). This can detect vehicle and human movement, the agency said.

Lynch added “Drone surveillance, especially when combined with ICE’s unregulated access to sensitive data like millions of drivers’ license plate records, threatens the privacy and security of people all across the country.”