WASHINGTON – On Friday, U.S. Congressman Lance Gooden (R-TX) sent a letter to the director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) demanding answers as to why the agency recently purchased Chinese manufactured drones with known national security risks.

As of July 2021, the United States Department of Defense has deemed systems produced by Da Jiang Innovations (DJI) as potential threats to U.S. national security. Under the terms of a 2017 Chinese law, companies, such as DJI, headquartered in China are required to cooperate with Chinese state intelligence operations. It is blatantly evident under the terms of the previously mentioned Chinese law the operation of drones manufactured by DJI pose significant and critical security risks to U.S. intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

Congressman Lance Gooden said, “It is painfully obvious to me that U.S. law enforcement agencies should avoid purchasing an electronic system manufactured by a Chinese company.” He continued, “It is vital Congress understands the reasoning behind this procurement decision, and the risks associated with it.”

The Departments of Defense, Commerce, and Interior have already determined Da Jiang Innovations systems present clear national security risks. Additionally, the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act explicitly prohibits the Department of Defense from operating or procuring unmanned aircraft systems manufactured in China.

Text of the letter can be found here.