Law enforcement in border states authorized to destroy drug-smuggling drones armed with weapons

A new law has been passed in Arizona that allows law enforcement officers to shoot down drones carrying drugs along the U.S.-Mexico border. This law received support from both parties in the state’s legislature and has now come into effect. 

HB 2733 was approved on April 18 and empowers officers to take action against drones suspected of engaging in unlawful activities within 15 miles of the state’s border with Mexico. 

State Representative David Marshall, who sponsored the bill, mentioned in a statement to Fox News Digital that cartels are increasingly using drones to monitor the border, identify the locations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, and transport illegal substances from Mexico into Arizona. He also highlighted the tools that law enforcement will use, which include electronic jamming devices and shotguns loaded with bird shot to bring down these drones.

Concertina wire is attached along the fence at the southern U.S. border with Mexico, in Douglas, Arizona, on April 3, 2025. (David Swanson/AFP via Getty Images)

However, the law is in direct conflict with the Federal Aviation Administration’s regulations surrounding drones. Federal law prohibits interfering with a drone while it is in the air, with violators risking criminal and civil penalties. 

“Federal law generally prohibits the damage, destruction or disabling of an aircraft,” the FAA said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “In addition, anyone shooting at any aircraft – including unmanned aircraft – creates a significant safety hazard. Discharging a weapon at an unmanned aircraft could cause damage to persons or property on the ground or could cause the aircraft to collide with other objects in the air.” 

CBP did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment. 

“It goes without saying that these cartel actions directly threaten the livelihood of Arizonans,” Marshall said. “In 2024 alone, Arizona saw 1,479 opioid-related overdose deaths. That is 1,479 lives taken too soon and countless families changed forever because of these deadly drugs. But when we give law enforcement the tools they need, like House Bill 2733, they are able to capture these drugs before they cause irreparable harm to our communities.”