Drone News: Skydio's No-Weapons Pledge, Avata 2 Disarms Suspect, FBI Seizes Over 300 Drones

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week, Skydio's CEO walks back their no-weapons pledge, a Sacramento Sheriff uses a DJI Avata 2 to disarm a suspect, and the FBI seizes over 300 drones at World Cup stadiums. Let's get to it.

First up this week, Skydio CEO Adam Bry recently went on The Verge's Decoder podcast and made a statement distancing the company from their published 2020 principles, which stated they would not put weapons on their drones. Bry confirmed the U.S. Army has already run experiments mounting grenade droppers on Skydio drones, and he argued that drawing ethical red lines is “dangerously misguided”. Bry also said that elected leaders are better positioned to make the call about what the system should be used for, saying “It’s not our place to tell them what they can and can’t do,”. This is obviously a pretty big switch from their 2020 blog post titled “Skydio Engagement and Responsible Use Principles”. At the time of this recording, the blog post still contains the statement: “We will not put weapons on our drones and will oppose fully autonomous lethal weapons systems. Our development process is focused on providing full automation, but we believe lethal weapons should not be fully automated.”. Next up, we have an interesting use of a DJI Avata… And one could argue it’s armed. A Sacramento County Sheriff's Office pilot used an Avata 2 to disarm a barricaded suspect holding a knife. Instead of sending deputies into a dangerous garage, the pilot attached a powerful magnet to the drone, flew it inside, and literally pulled the knife right out of the suspect's hand. The suspect appeared to be unconscious, but this is a win nevertheless. It ensured a safe outcome for both officers and the suspect. Last up, the FBI has intercepted more than 300 unauthorized drones at FIFA World Cup 2026 venues across the U.S. in just the first ten days of the tournament. To give you some exact figures, that includes 34 drones around SoFi Stadium in LA, 39 across Dallas, and 42 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philly. If you fly inside an active World Cup Temporary Flight Restriction, or TFR, you face up to $100,000 in criminal fines, possible prison time, and the confiscation of your aircraft. Remember, the FAA's stadium rings run three nautical miles wide and up to 3,000 feet high on match days. Remember, a Part 107 certificate or a LAANC authorization means absolutely nothing inside an active TFR. Check for TFRs BEFORE you fly. The enforcement is real, and the FBI is not messing around. If you have legitimate commercial work, the FAA did create a Department of Homeland Security authorization path, but you have to apply well in advance. TFR.FAA.GOV, and don’t be that guy. https://dronexl.co/2026/06/18/skydio-bry-decoder-weapons-red-lines/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/22/sacramento-sheriff-dji-avata-2-disarm-suspect/https://dronexl.co/2026/06/22/fbi-300-world-cup-drone-seizuresD/https://www.skydio.com/blog/skydio-engagement-and-responsible-use-principles