Canadian Deported From US After Guilty Plea in Cape Canaveral Drone Espionage

Xiao Guang Pan, a 71-year-old Chinese-born Canadian from Brampton, Ontario, pleaded guilty to illegally photographing classified U.S. defense facilities at the Cape Canaveral Space Force Base in Florida using a drone. Despite claiming he was capturing nature and scenic views, forensic analysis revealed he had taken nearly 2,000 photos of military installations, including launch complexes, munitions bunkers, and security areas. Pan was arrested in January 2025 after NASA detected drone activity near the base and was subsequently charged with three counts of unlawful photography of military sites. A Florida judge sentenced him to 12 months probation and ordered his deportation back to Canada, with a ban on re-entry without Homeland Security approval. His drone equipment was confiscated, and the case has heightened concerns in the U.S. about foreign surveillance via unauthorized drones over sensitive military locations. Pan had entered the U.S. on a tourist visa in November 2024, and his activities were discovered after multiple days of drone operation near the base.