Sophisticated Theft of 15 Cop-Drones in New Jersey Sparks Bioterrorism Fears
The theft of 15 crop-drones in New Jersey has sparked concerns among the FBI.
National security news outlet High Side reported that 15 agricultural Ceres Air C31 drones were stolen from a New Jersey warehouse last month.
According to the report, a man impersonating a delivery driver deceived logistics company CAC International into giving him the fleet of drones.
The drones have the ability to spray up to 40 gallons of liquid chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizers, but authorities are concerned the drones could be used to disperse chemical or biological weapons.
15 chemical spraying drones stolen in NJ as FBI investigates possible ‘nightmare scenario’: report https://t.co/ofuI3B1pg0 pic.twitter.com/NbW4maD6ZM
— New York Post Metro (@nypmetro) April 25, 2026
Per Yahoo News:
Fifteen industrial spray drones vanished from a New Jersey facility last month in what investigators call a sophisticated, coordinated theft. These aren’t hobby quadcopters—they’re precision farming machines capable of dispersing 40 gallons of liquid across 30 acres per flight, all guided by GPS autopilot.
Federal investigators launched a probe amid bioterrorism concerns, treating the theft as more than expensive equipment loss. Each drone operates as a potential delivery system that could disperse hazardous materials over wide areas without human pilots at risk.
Retired FBI agent Steve Lazarus warned of serious consequences and called it a concerning scenario, emphasizing these are industrial sprayers designed for precision agriculture, not weekend flying. The sophisticated coordination required suggests professional thieves who understood the equipment’s capabilities and value.
The theft revives post-September 11th anxieties about agricultural aircraft being weaponized for chemical or biological attacks. Today’s threat multiplies exponentially—instead of recruiting and training pilots for single planes, bad actors could deploy swarms of pre-programmed drones simultaneously.
The report comes a month after The Gateway Pundit reported that the U.S. Army Fort Campbell Facebook Page revealed that four Skydio X10D Drone Systems were stolen from the 326th Division Engineer Battalion building.
A spokesperson at Fort Campbell has since announced that the suspects behind the drone theft have been identified, but did not release their names.
Drone threats have reportedly increased since the United States began military operations in Iran.
ABC News previously reported that the FBI warned California police departments that Iran may try to attack the West Coast with drones.
The White House, however, refuted ABC News claims.
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