Posted on 07/15/2022 6:04:17 AM PDT by george76
Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have admitted in sworn testimony to the government purchase of drones manufactured in China.
The Washington Examiner reports that the admission was made by two officials who testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee on Thursday. Brad Wiegmann, deputy assistant attorney general for the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) National Security Division, admitted that the FBI is purchasing and putting to use drones that have been manufactured by Shenzhen DJI Sciences and Technologies (DJI).
Wiegmann was facing questions from Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio), who said that he was “very concerned about reports of the purchase by DHS and DOJ law enforcement of Chinese drones and the national security risks that this poses.” Portman further noted that “DJI has servers in China. They have support from the Chinese government. The Chinese state security services is one of their customers.”
When he asked Wiegmann if the FBI had been purchasing or utilizing such drones, Wiegmann simply responded with “We do.”
Samantha Vinograd, the acting assistant secretary for DHS’s counterterrorism, threat prevention, and law enforcement policy, also admitted to the department purchasing and using such drones in official capacities, although she initially tried to avoid answering the question.
“DHS has prohibited the purchase of foreign-made drones … absent waivers in very specific circumstances,” Vinograd replied to the same question. “With specific waivers, DHS can purchase certain foreign-made aircraft. … With certain waivers, we are purchasing certain foreign-made aircraft.”
DJI, which is backed by the Chinese government, is recognized by the United States government as a “Chinese Military Industrial Complex” company. However, the most recently-approved National Defense Authorization Act, which passed the House of Representatives on the same day, did not include a ban on Chinese-made drones being utilized by the American government, despite some Republicans’ efforts to include such a provision.
According to the Financial Times, DJI “has hired two lobbying firms — Squire Patton Boggs and the Vogel Group — to persuade members of Congress not to back the American Security Drone Act,” the measure which would ultimately ban Chinese-made drones from government use in the U.S. The provision was championed by Congressman Mike Gallagher (R-Wisc.), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Michael McCaul (R-Texas), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.
“This is just the latest example of how the CCP uses the swamp against us,” Gallagher said in a statement to the media. “There is a bipartisan recognition that Congress needs to mitigate threats posed by DJI drones, but these efforts have been undermined by lobbyists who would rather sell out the country than lose a lucrative contract.”
“The threats posed by DJI drones are clear and well-documented, no matter how much the CCP spends on the swamp,” Gallagher continued, “and we will continue to work to make sure these devices get nowhere near the federal government.”
“OpSec for thee. Not for Feebs.”
With all of the data they collect being sent back to China.
DJI makes the best and cheapest consumer drones in the world and it ain't really close.
You have to assume that everything recorded by a DJI drone goes directly back to China at some point.
I hate to say this, but the DJI drone is probably the best drone on the market for the money. I have a DJI Mavic Mini, their entry level drone. It’s the best one out there.
And let’s imagine the kickback funding of payments sent to the Biden criminal family????....Oh wait...we can’t do that!
——There’s no other excuse for buying drones from our enemy.——
Actually, there is a very good reason. The drones can be disassembled and gone over with a fine-tooth engineering comb.
China is in fact an enemy and learning the Chinese home-grown engineering capability contained within the drones is valid intelligence. Learning which components are imported and which Made In China is a very important lesson. learning how the China drones are controlled is vital info if trying to combat them
Know thy enemy pertains to Chinese drones
Yes, that maybe true, but they give you the option of opting out of your drone sending back data to DJI when you set it up. I checked that box.
Do they still send the data back? Who knows for sure, but if they want to use the data from my drone they’re not going to get much value.
Just axin'.
The US is also letting China buy huge portions of land. Some very near military bases.
We are actually allowing traitors who are selling us out to run America.
Yeah, but my drill doesn't usually tell Xi Jinping what color pajamas I am wearing. :)
I don’t understand the relevance of your question. You’re comparing apples to wrenches. Power tools do not have the capacity to transmit data to China.
If the drone cannot connect to a wireless network (unless it is an open network), it could not send data that way.
Maybe during a firmware update they could send data back? These use memory cards, correct? One thing would be to remove the memory card prior to a firmware update?
Ha........ years ago, Freepers carped about the Japanese purchase of American real estate.
Guess what....it’s all still there. Not a square millimeter was carried off to Japan.
American real estate is perhaps the best investment a wealthy Chinese businessman can make with funds subject to confiscation or devaluation in China.
I ax the question because the answer would be helpful to understand whether your preference for Chinese drones is based on a general preference for things made in China.
China Joe has been bought and paid for.
Article II Section 4 US Constitution: "The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."
I don’t care where things are made. My purchases depend on quality and price. But I’m not DHS. Nobody cares about my drone footage, and quite honestly I don’t care if the Chinese govt has my drone footage. DHS, however, should care.
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