A 71-year-old Brampton man has been charged by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) after allegedly using a drone to capture unauthorized aerial photographs of sensitive American military installations.
According to U.S. authorities, Xiao Guang Pan is accused of taking drone images at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida on three separate occasions in January. The photographs reportedly include a space launch complex, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers—sites deemed critical to national security.
Under U.S. federal law, photographing or recording defense installations without authorization is strictly prohibited.
Pan, who entered the United States on a tourist visa, has not been detained but is expected to appear in court later this week. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the FBI, with support from multiple federal agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection and NASA’s Office of Inspector General.
The FBI has seized the photographs, and if convicted, Pan could face up to one year in federal prison for each charge.