Arizona lawmakers have put forth a bill that would embolden law enforcement agencies with the authority to incapacitate drones along the U.S.-Mexico border, a measure propelled by the escalating challenge of drug cartels employing the flying devices to traffic narcotics into the state. The controversial bill, HB2733, would enable officers "intercepting, capturing, disabling, shooting, destroying, or otherwise rendering inoperative an unmanned aircraft" without facing liability for damages, should the aircraft be within a 30-mile radius of the border, as noted by FOX 10 Phoenix.
Attorney General Kris Mayes expressed staunch support for the bill, highlighting that the drones have been found as far as 75 miles into Arizona, primarily carrying fentanyl, and accounting for nearly 1,500 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2024. Mayes advocates for "drone jammers" or even enacting force to "blow them out of the sky," and her office is said to be coordinating efforts with the Federal Aviation Administration, based on her interview with FOX 10 Phoenix.
The proposition, however, is facing scrutiny regarding the potential safety risks of discharging weapons in an attempt to disable the drones. State Representative David Marshall defended the bill, downplaying concerns of unintended casualties by questioning the presence of individuals near the border late at night, implying that such areas are likely operational zones for smuggling activities and not for benign pastimes, according to Arizona Capitol Times.
The perimeter for drone disabling authorized by the bill currently spans up to 30 miles from the border, but there have been suggestions to reduce this distance to 15 miles. This legal buffer not only includes desolate expanses but also breaches urban territories, raising questions about the necessary precautions when firing at drones. There are concerns about how law enforcement will ensure that bullets do not risk the lives or property of innocent bystanders. Amid the discourse, Chris Hines, Sierra Vista police chief, aligned with the bill, underscoring the agency it provides to local forces in counteracting the "poison of fentanyl" conveyed by the drones, as stated during a press conference, as per Arizona Capitol Times.
While acknowledging that there are indeed legitimate uses for drones, including by media outlets near the border, AG Mayes maintained that if disabling a drone from a news organization was necessary in the crusade against cartel activities, she would accept that trade-off, even including potential legal repercussions for the loss of media property. "If I have to sacrifice one of the television station’s drones in the effort to get after the drug cartels, then I’m OK with that," Mayes candidly stated, as reported by the representatives from Arizona Capitol Times.
