A Canadian citizen has been charged with unauthorized aerial photography of defense installations in Florida. The United States Attorney, Roger B. Handberg, announced the filing of a criminal information against Xiao Guang Pan, aged 71, from Canada. Pan faces three counts of using an unmanned aircraft to capture images of critical defense sites and equipment without permission. If found guilty, he could face up to one year in federal prison for each count.
The charges allege that in January 2025, Pan used a drone to take photographs at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base on three separate occasions. The sites photographed include space launch complexes, a payload processing facility, a submarine wharf, and munitions bunkers. Federal law prohibits the unauthorized photography of vital defense installations or equipment.
An information is a formal charge indicating that the defendant has potentially violated federal criminal law; however, it is important to note that every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The investigation involves several agencies: Homeland Security Investigations, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Additional support comes from the Federal Aviation Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Air Marshals Service, NASA's Office of Inspector General, and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan is handling the prosecution.