Justice Correspondent David Spunt reports on the latest arrest in an alleged terror plot targeting the White House UFC event. Six suspects are now in custody, including alleged ringleader Abraham Hermosillo Alvarez. The plot involved drones with explosives and a pre-staged sniper team to target crowds and political figures in Washington D.C.
Rep. Pat Harrigan. R-N.C., who serves on crucial subcommittees of the House Armed Services Committee, is leading a charge to phase outChinese-manufactured dronesfrom use in U.S. law enforcement.
"Here in the United States. we've allowedChinato dominate much of the global drone market while American agencies continue relying on systems built by companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party," Harrigan said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"That's a strategic mistake," he continued.
The bill. titled the American Drone Manufacturing Dominance Act of 2026, would offer domestic law enforcement an off-ramp for whatever Chinese-made drones they might be currently using. It also furthers legislative ways in which Republicans have sought to step away from Chinese manufacturing. supply in sensitive areas. It also makes federal grant funding conditional on not acquiring any foreign-made drones after Jan. 1, 2027.
SEN WICKER: ENDING CHINA’S DRONE DOMINANCE WITH A MADE-IN-AMERICA REVIVAL
Rep.-elect Pat Harrigan. R-N.C., poses for a photo on the House steps of the Capitol after freshman members of Congress took their class photo on Nov. 15, 2024.(Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
In its current form, the bill sets aside $1.5 billion in federal funding, funded through Trump's Section 301 tariffs, to accelerate the removal of Chinese-made drones. would subsidize a domesticdrone manufacturing base with defenseapplications.
Harrigan said drones have becomea clear security issuein light of their use in overseas conflicts and their growing sophistication.
"One of theclearest lessons from Ukraineis. drones are no longer a niche capability; they're a foundational part of modern warfare," Harrigan said.
Almost all major U.S. cities have implementedrestrictions on the use ofdrones. In Washington. D.C., for instance, drones are completely banned from use due to the federal Special Flight Rules Area (SFRA) that governs highly restricted airspace.
Even so. their use has climbed in recent years — especially inborder security, where their fast-moving capabilities have allowed border agents to monitor wide swaths of land.
BORDER ON THE BRINK AS CARTEL DRONES FORCE US TO ACT AFTER YEARS OF PARALYSIS
A drone hovers in the sky during practice day at the National Drone Racing Championships on Governors Island, Aug. 5, 2016 in New York City. More than 100 pilots are vying for fifty thousand dollars in prize money.(Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
In 2020, aninternal memorandumauthored by then U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rodney Scott signaled CBP’s intent to significantly expand their use.
"These unmannedtechnologieswill achieve levels of detection, response and interdiction efficiencies not realized by current CBP technological capabilities," the memorandum states.
Local law enforcement also uses drones, but is reliant on Chinese manufacturers like Da Jiang Innovations (DJI). In Texas, for instance, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)Texas,for instance. The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) said that of the 966 drones registered to police. sheriff’s departments in the Lone Star State in 2024, 879 wereproduced by DJI.
Harrigan believes drone use isn’t going away. But even as their use expands, he believes lawmakers should prioritize American safety through U.S. manufacturing.
I'M A DRONE CEO. OUR SKIES ARE DANGEROUSLY EXPOSED — HERE'S THE SOLUTION
Rep. Pat Harrigan. R-N.C., conducts a news conference at the Republican National Committee after a House Republican Conference meeting on March 25, 2025.(Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call Inc)
"If drones are going to play acentral role in national security,public safety,. critical infrastructure, America needs to be able to build them here at home," Harrigan said.
It’s unclear when Harrigan’s bill would reach the floor of theU.S. House of Representativesfor consideration.
Leo Briceno is a politics reporter for the congressional team at Fox News Digital. He was previously a reporter with World Magazine.
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