ValleyCentral has reported the arrest of a man who recently flew a drone over the SpaceX facility in South Texas. Reynold Daniel Chavez, 32, was arrested by the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office for operating an unmanned aircraft over a critical infrastructure facility.
Texas Code defines “critical infrastructure” as “all public or private assets, systems, and functions vital to the security, governance, public health and safety, economy, or morale of the state or the nation.”
On July 20, deputies responded to a report of a drone flying over the SpaceX launch pad near the entrance of Boca Chica Beach on Highway 4 in Cameron County. Upon arrival, they spoke with SpaceX security, who had received an alert about the unauthorized drone. Deputies then made contact with the suspected operator, Chavez.
According to a news release, Chavez informed the deputies that he was from out of town and was flying his drone to see the rockets. When he was informed that he was flying in a restricted area, he responded that he was unaware of the restriction. SpaceX security decided to file charges against Chavez, leading to his arrest.
The airspace around the SpaceX facility in South Texas is restricted with temporary flight restrictions for special security reasons.
Post Image- Screenshot of the Temporary Flight Restriction over the SpaceX facility in South Texas (Post Image Credit: Aloft Air Aware)
