There's a threat of Chinese-owned drones operating in Texas and across the United States collecting and then transmitting data back to the Chinese Communist Party.
According to research from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), 80 percent of the drone market in North America is supplied by DJI, a Chinese-owned drone company. They also take care of 70 percent of the global market.
Investigative reporter with the Texas Scorecard Robert Montoya said in their investigative report that they published in 2023 on drones, they found that DJI drone products have been purchased by both state and local government agencies.
"DJI is a Chinese company that has ties with the Chinese Communist Party so you have a drone company that has ties to a nation that according to the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence is a threat to American national security," Montoya explained.
Just one week before Donald Trump’s inauguration, DJI removed its no-fly zone geo fence system. This means their drones can fly pretty much anywhere they want. DJI claims they made the update to align with FAA airspace data on where pilots can and can’t fly.
Based on conversations Montoya had with Texas lawmakers during their investigation, DJI admitted to being capable of collecting information that their drones capture and sending it to Beijing.
"As drones are flying over anywhere with their cameras, they're able to gather information about our infrastructure, information about placement of buildings and even our first responders," said Montoya.
The major concern is that the information taken in by these China-made drones will be used against the U.S.
Montoya said the Texas House has caught on to this threat however. In December 2024, the Texas House Select Committee on Securing Texas from Hostile Organizations released a report on potential hostile threats to the state of Texas and one of the categories was drones. Around the same time, lawmakers called for a statewide ban on first responders buying drones made in China and suggested using taxpayer money to phase out those drones that are currently in service.
According to the report, a National Security law passed in China in 2017 requires all Chinese companies to collect data and transmit it back to government entities in Beijing. This is referred to as ‘spy and lie.’
"China has a law that basically compels corporations as well as citizens to provide them with information," Montoya said.
There's also the issue of entities with CCP ties lobbying Texas lawmakers. According to Montoya, State Rep. Tony Tinderholt (R–Arlington) said DJI hired lobbyists in 2019 to lobby lawmakers to widen drone usage and cap restrictions on them.
Both the Trump and Biden administrations have already taken action at the federal level to restrict the purchase and investment of CCP-related drones. The special Texas House committee has argued that action needs to be taken to prevent the possible threat of these drones to Texans and Americans.