Drones attack FBI during hostage campaign

Drones interfered with an operation to end a hostage-taking last winter, according to the FBI. The drones blocked the view of officers and were able to communicate their position via video.

The hostage rescue team set up an observation point at an incident in the suburbs of a major U.S. city last winter when they heard multiple drones approaching, Joseph Mazel, head of the FBI’s Operational Technology Law Unit, describes, according to Defense One. .

According to the FBI chief, the drones were “all around them,” without citing numbers. Not only did the drones obstruct the team’s view, but they were also used by the gang members to videotape the FBI agents’ positions. Those videos were put on YouTube so other members of the gang could gain insight into the operation.

According to Mazel, the use of the drones presented ‘challenges’. In an increasing number of countries, authorities are faced with the use of drones by criminals. They are used by burglars and smugglers to monitor security. Drones are also a problem in prisons. Earlier this week, NOS reported that guards from a prison in Curaçao had taken down two drones that wanted to drop drugs and telephones over the Center for Detention and Correction of the island.