Arizona bill would give law enforcement power to target drones at the U.S.-Mexico Border
Proposal to allow officers to target border drones
Arizona law enforcement are hoping to ramp up the fight against drug cartels, and a bill at the Arizona State Legislature could help them with that fight.
PHOENIX - Arizona law enforcement are hoping to ramp up the fight against drug cartels.
This time, they are targeting drones transporting narcotics into the Grand Canyon State.
Proposed legislation aims to target drones
Dig deeper:
Currently, a bill at the Arizona State Legislature will give law enforcement more powers to deal with drones.
Under current laws, Arizona law enforcement officers can't target drones, and it falls on federal authorities to monitor the border.
If HB2733 is passed, however, the bill would allow a public entity or public employee to not be liable to a drone operator for any damages caused by an officer "intercepting, capturing, disabling, shooting, destroying, or otherwise rendering inoperative an unmanned aircraft" within 30 miles of Arizona's border with Mexico.
Arizona Attorney General supports bill
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes is among those who support HB2733. She said the drones can travel up to 75 miles into Arizona, flooding the state with drugs like fentanyl.
What She Said:
"This legislation is needed to either allow them to disable the drones, using what are calling drone jammers, or frankly, blow them out of the sky with guns," said AG Mayes, who also said her office will be working with the FAA to combat the drones, and provide local law enforcement with drone hammers.
By the numbers:
In 2024, nearly 1,500 Arizonans died from opioid-related overdoses. Most of them involved fentanyl supplied by cartels.