A Canadian citizen has been charged with using a drone to photograph sensitive areas at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base illegally. Xiao Guang Pan, 71, is facing three counts of using an unmanned aircraft to photograph vital defense installations and equipment without authorization.
According to the criminal information filed in the case, Pan used a drone to capture aerial images of various restricted areas within the base on three separate days in January 2025.
The photographs included images of space launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers.
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Federal law prohibits the unauthorized photography of vital defense installations and equipment.
Pan faces a maximum penalty of one year in federal prison for each count if convicted.
This case highlights the increasing concerns about the potential misuse of drones and the need to safeguard sensitive locations from unauthorized surveillance.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from several other agencies.
Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan is prosecuting the case.
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