Orlando: A Canadian citizen has been charged with three counts of illegally using a drone to capture images of critical defense sites and equipment, as part of an ongoing multi-agency probe involving U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to a criminal information filing, 71-year-old Xiao Guang Pan allegedly used a drone to photograph sensitive military locations at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida. On three separate occasions in January 2025, he took aerial images of Space Launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers—actions that are prohibited under federal law.

A criminal information filing serves as a formal accusation of federal law violations. If convicted, Pan faces a maximum sentence of one year in federal prison for each count.

The investigation is being conducted by ICE Homeland Security Investigations Space Coast, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the FBI, with support from multiple agencies, including the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Air Marshals Service, the NASA Office of Inspector General, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Varadan. DeshGujarat