Just seven weeks after President Donald J. Trump announced an initiative aimed at pushing the American drone industry to unparalleled heights, the Cochise County Sheriff’s Office in southeastern Arizona has announced that it will deploy cutting-edge drones to carry out surveillance, logistics and interdiction along the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The southern border is one of America’s most critical national security frontiers,” said Capt. Tim Williams of the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department. “Our department has always been committed to leveraging the best tools available. With Draganfly as our drone partner, we’re entering the next phase of smart border enforcement. Their systems will enhance our ability to protect communities, manage humanitarian concerns, and respond rapidly to evolving threats.”
He said the initiative not only reinforces the department’s legacy of operational excellence but also positions Cochise County as a national model for technology-enabled border enforcement. The drones will become part of the department’s comprehensive monitoring program of the border region, which includes other tools such as mobile sensor units, high-resolution camera networks and ground surveillance radar.
Although Draganfly was founded in Canada in 1998, it has invested heavily in the United States, with a production plant in Tampa, Florida, that opened in March 2025. Draganfly touts itself as a global leader in drone technology, AI and autonomous systems.
The global leader in drone production is the Shenzhen, China-based DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations), founded in 2006. It holds approximately 70% of the global market share and produces drones for commercial and consumer use.
President Trump’s “Unleashing American Drone Dominance” executive order, dated June 6, 2025, outlines the government’s plan to help accelerate domestic drone research and development, and to reduce reliance on foreign products as local, regional and federal law enforcement agencies look to integrate drones into their strategic missions.
“We are honored to be working with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department on this historic program,” said Cameron Chell, CEO of Draganfly. “Their team represents some of the best of American law enforcement—innovation-focused, community-minded and mission-ready. This project embodies the spirit of President Trump’s executive order and sets a gold standard for how drone technology should be used to secure national borders.”
In an interview with Techstrong, Chell elaborated on the partnership.
“The project is called OutRider. We have been selected and are being commissioned to provide a drone that will do what a fixed-wing surveillance drone can do—fly at altitude and stay aloft for hours at a time—as well as be able to accomplish what a multi-rotor drone can do (carry a heavy payload, i.e., deliver supplies, provide emergency medical assistance, provide close air support and assist with interdictions and apprehensions). This is a unique innovation designed by both CCSO and Draganfly. The multi-rotor drone is about nine feet across, and can fly autonomously, semi-automated or in manual mode. It will have full surveillance and communication capabilities, as well as integrate with CCSO’s internally developed AI system. The drone is a hybrid, meaning it has both a combustion and battery power source, and can stay aloft for up to seven hours. The drone will be in operation by November, with field testing happening during the summer and fall.”
President Trump’s executive order outlines the administration’s rationale for seeking to invigorate the domestic drone industry.
“Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), otherwise known as drones, enhance United States productivity, create high-skilled jobs and are reshaping the future of aviation. Drones are already transforming industries from logistics and infrastructure inspection to precision agriculture, emergency response and public safety. Emerging technologies such as electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft promise to modernize methods for cargo delivery, passenger transport and other advanced air mobility capabilities. The United States must accelerate the safe commercialization of drone technologies and fully integrate UAS into the National Airspace System. The time has come to accelerate testing and to enable routine drone operations, scale up domestic production, and expand the export of trusted, American-manufactured drone technologies to global markets. Building a strong and secure domestic drone sector is vital to reducing reliance on foreign sources, strengthening critical supply chains and ensuring that the benefits of this technology are delivered to the American people.”
The executive order contains numerous directives to the FAA and other federal agencies to achieve its stated goals, among them clearing some prohibitions on “Beyond Visual Line of Sight” (BVLOS) operations, and using AI to expedite the review of UAS waiver applications.
The order also contains directives related to the administration’s national security goals. “In order to protect the integrity of America’s drone supply chain and ensure our technology remains secure from undue foreign influence and exploitation, within 30 days of the date of this order, the Federal Acquisition Security Council shall publish a Covered Foreign Entity List, as defined in section 1822(1) of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, identifying companies that pose supply chain risks.”
Additionally the order directs the Secretary of Commerce to propose rules and conduct investigations to “secure the United States drone supply chain against foreign control or exploitation.” The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act requires the review of foreign manufactured drones, to assess whether they pose an unacceptable risk to national security, in which case they would essentially be banned from the U.S. marke
