The RCMP says it hasn’t purchased Chinese drones that are forbidden by the United States to monitor the border, after a report by the nation’s public broadcaster said the force rushed to acquire such equipment ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as president.
“We have communicated to Radio-Canada that their story is inaccurate. The RCMP has not purchased any unsecured drones, such as those referenced in the Radio-Canada article, as part of any new funding,” an RCMP spokesperson told The Epoch Times on Jan. 20, referring to the CBC’s French-language unit.
The police force said it has recently introduced a policy prohibiting the procurement or use of unsecured drones, except where “their use is justified and there is no risk to national security,” the spokesperson said, adding that any ”legacy drones,” including those still in operation at certain contract detachments, will be phased out and replaced as new drones are acquired.
The Radio-Canada report, published on Jan. 18, cited an unnamed RCMP staff member who claimed the force purchased drones from Chinese manufacturer DJI, despite knowing they couldn’t be used at the border due to U.S. security concerns. Two other anonymous sources told Radio-Canada that the RCMP rushed to place the order in the wake of Trump’s election victory.
After winning the election in November, Trump said he would impose 25 percent tariffs on goods from Canada and Mexico unless they took action to stop the flow of illegal immigrants and drive into the United States through their borders.
In response, Ottawa introduced a $1.3 billion plan to boost security at the border, including, among other measures, deploying more equipment and new tools to detect and deter illegal activity.
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The plan includes deploying Blackhawk helicopters and 60 drones to the border, RCMP Deputy Commissioner Bryan Larkin said during a Jan. 15 press conference in Ottawa.
The RCMP has previously sparked concerns for using Chinese technology in a contract awarded to Sinclair Technologies, a Canadian subsidiary of the Chinese-owned Hytera Communications. In 2021, the RCMP signed a $549,637 deal for radio frequency filters and maintenance, raising alarms about potential security risks due to Hytera’s ties to China, as first reported by CBC News in December 2022.
Chinese Drones
DJI, based in Guangdong Province, China, is a major player in the drone industry. Its devices are known for their affordability and quick availability.
The U.S. government has increased scrutiny of drones made in China, particularly those produced by DJI, which controls about 80 percent of the U.S. market for commercial drones.
In early January, the U.S. Commerce Department launched public consultations on potentially banning the sale of Chinese-made drones to protect the drone supply chain from risks posed by foreign adversaries.
A joint report, published in January 2024 by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warned of “a significant risk” to U.S. national security posed by drones manufactured in China. Among the concerns are China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, which requires Chinese companies to cooperate with Beijing’s intelligence gathering.
DJI recently spurred additional security concerns following an update to its geofencing system on Jan. 13. Geofencing creates virtual boundaries around real-world locations to detect when a device enters or exits an area. The update replaces DJI’s own dataset with official Federal Aviation Administration data, alerting pilots when their drones approach restricted or controlled airspace. Unlike the previous model, where drones would lock and hover in sensitive areas like runways, power plants, wildfires, or other high-security locations, the new system leaves flight decisions to the operator.
In response to media reports and public concerns about safety and espionage risks, DJI issued a statement on Jan. 16 saying the reactions circulating online are “either categorically false or seek to politicize this update given the current geopolitical climate.”
Dorothy Li and Noé Chartier contributed to this report.
