Homeland Security’s Predator B Drones Patrol Over Los Angeles

The ongoing unrest in Los Angeles has led to increased surveillance efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) through the deployment of Predator B drones. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has been utilizing its MQ-9 Reapers, commonly known as Predator B drones, to observe the situation in Los Angeles as part of the government’s response to the escalating protests. These flights come following violent incidents that occurred during protests subsequent to a significant Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation on Friday. The use of persistent aerial surveillance like this has sparked widespread controversy, with civil rights advocates arguing that it violates privacy rights and undermines constitutional principles.

The deployment of drones for urban surveillance purposes, particularly over cities, is not a common occurrence, creating a significant stir among various stakeholders. While the CBP’s Predator B drones are typically used for surveillance activities across the country, monitoring urban areas like Los Angeles raises unique concerns. Despite the controversy surrounding the use of drones for such purposes, CBP’s Air and Marine Operations (AMO) has clarified that their MQ-9 Predators are providing aerial support to federal law enforcement agencies in the Greater Los Angeles region, including ICE, and ensuring officer safety surveillance when required. They have emphasized that their operations do not involve monitoring First Amendment activities.

The issue of the Predator B drones’ presence was initially met with silence from CPB; however, social media reports and air traffic control audio revealed the drones’ activities over Los Angeles. The ATC audio indicated the movement of two “Q-9s,” with call signs TROY 703 and TROY 701, over the airspace in and around Los Angeles. While the exact identity of these drones as CPB Predator Bs has not been explicitly confirmed, the use of the TROY callsign is associated with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Additionally, other DHS aircraft, such as TROY 314 and TROY 212, including a Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft and a Black Hawk helicopter, were also observed flying over Los Angeles in recent days.

Plane trackers monitoring online software reported aircraft flying hexagonal patterns over Los Angeles, a surveillance pattern often associated with CBP Predator B drones. This specific flight pattern has been previously observed during CBP surveillance activities, including in Minneapolis in 2020. Despite the controversy and concerns surrounding the use of drones for urban surveillance, the DHS continues to maintain its aerial surveillance operations in Los Angeles to support federal law enforcement agencies in response to the ongoing unrest in the city.