Who flies surveillance drones in Hidalgo County?
- Expanding Drones
- Agency
- Hidalgo County Emergency Management, Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office
- Vendor
- —
- Devices
- —
| System | Agency | Vendor | Status | Devices |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drones | Hidalgo County Emergency Management, Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office | — | Expanding | — |
What we do not know
Emergency Management and Hidalgo County Sheriff
- What the county's Unmanned Aerial System Program Policy says, and whether it has been revised since 2017.
- How many drones Hidalgo County operates, which department holds each one, and what sensors they carry.
- Whether any county drone has been flown over a crowd, a protest, a home or a private property, and under what authority.
- How long drone footage is kept, who can view it, and whether it is shared with other agencies.
- What the $270,000.00 of Department of Justice funds approved in July 2026 bought, and how it relates to the ANAFI purchase approved the same day.
What drones are
An unmanned aircraft carrying a camera, flown by a public agency. Where a state classes drones as military equipment, as California does, a public policy and a governing-body vote are required before an agency uses one.
How they work, why agencies buy them, and every county we have documented →
What you can do
Civic action
Show up
This technology is bought and renewed by boards, councils and committees that meet in public. We have confirmed where each of them meets in Hidalgo County and how public comment works there.
How to show up in Hidalgo County →Personal protection
Protect yourself
Practical steps to shrink your personal data trail. Our guides publish at launch; until then, EFF's Surveillance Self-Defense is the best starting point.
Surveillance Self-Defense ↗