The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency has said that widespread reports it is using drones to aid the manhunt for an ex-Los Angeles police officer accused of a killing spree are untrue.
“Reports that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s unmanned aircraft systems are being used are incorrect,” San Diego Sector spokesman Ralph DeSio said in a brief interview. “CPB’s [aircraft] are not flying in support of this search.”
The use of Border Patrol drones in the search for Christopher Dorner was originally attributed to DeSio in the U.K.’s Daily Express newspaper:
The use of drones was later confirmed by Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Ralph DeSio, who revealed agents have been prepared for Dorner to make a dash for the Mexican border since his rampage began.
He said: “This agency has been at the forefront of domestic use of drones by law enforcement. That’s all I can say at the moment.”
