On November 15, 2019 Senator Dianne Feinstein stated that “reports have surfaced, such as October 31, 2019, when the Ventura County Fire Department’s aerial operations to contain the Maria Fire had to be halted when a drone was spotted in the immediate airspace”. She called upon the Department of Justice to take action to prevent these types of incidents happening in California.

Drones caused the downing of many firefighting operations over the last several years. This problem is on many minds of Congressional leaders as the drone threats by rogue actors continue to interfere with public safety operations. The Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 2018 authorized the Department of Justice to prosecute individuals that interfere with these types of operations, yet the Department has not utilized this authority as of yet.

Senator Feinstein is a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

For the full text copy of the letter visit here.