Fishing Boat Finds Military Drone Off Florida Coast

A recent fishing trip in the Gulf waters off Florida took an unexpected turn when a U.S. military drone was added to the catch. Charter captain Daniel Arsenault, 36, noticed what appeared to be an overturned boat, but it turned out to be a drone. He was accompanied by active-duty military helicopter pilots, who recognized it as a target drone.

Confident in retrieving the drone, Arsenault included it among the day’s catch of mahi-mahi. They brought the drone back to the dock for photos before the local sheriff’s department took possession. Eventually, the government reclaimed it.

A photo on the Hot Spots Charters Facebook page displays the drone alongside a table of fish, jokingly inviting those missing a drone to contact them.

A spokesperson from Eglin Air Force Base reported the drone, a LUCAS model (Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System), had landed in the water during testing on September 17. The drone has since been recovered. The base frequently conducts exercises in the Gulf, including a munitions test scheduled this week.

These drones are part of a CENTCOM task force stationed in the Middle East. Known as Task Force Scorpion Strike, they fought in Operation Epic Fury against Iran starting February 28, using LUCAS drones for combat. The U.S. and Israel employed these in response to Iranian forces using Shahed drones against U.S. troops, and Russia utilizing them against Ukraine.

This isn’t the first unexpected find off the Florida coast. In 2023, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s family caught 70 pounds of cocaine worth over $1 million during a Keys fishing trip.