Texas

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Oct 29

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Texas drone news covers border and cartel security concerns, the state’s outsized role in commercial drone delivery, and police and industry activity, tracked apart from the general United States desk given how much drone news concentrates here.

Cartel drone activity has made counter-drone authority a real policy fight: Texas wants counter-drone power, but only 61 US officers nationwide are currently certified to use it, a gap between what the state wants and what federal certification currently allows. Detection technology is advancing separately: AT&T is turning its 5G towers into drone radar using existing network infrastructure rather than dedicated counter-drone hardware.

Texas is also one of the most active states for commercial drone delivery. Zipline’s Walmart drone parachuted a package into Greenville, Texas, landing feet from a parked truck, part of a broader Walmart delivery network expansion across the state.

Industrial investment is following. Saronic is planning a $3 billion Texas shipyard for drone ships, and League City police plan to fly BRINC 911 drones by December. Every Texas drone story is in the feed below.

Key facts

What this covers: Drone news across Texas: cartel and border security concerns, commercial delivery expansion, and police and industry activity
The security gap: Texas wants counter-drone authority for cartel activity, but only 61 US officers nationwide are currently certified to use it
Delivery leader: Texas is one of the most active states for commercial drone delivery, with both Walmart and Zipline expanding service there

Start here

Texas Wants Counter-Drone Power. Only 61 US Officers Are Certified. — August 18, 2026
Saronic Plans $3 Billion Texas Shipyard For Drone Ships — July 25, 2026
Zipline Walmart Drone Parachutes Into Greenville, Texas Street, Landing Feet From A Parked Truck — July 27, 2026

Last updated October 29, 2026 — the feed below updates with every new story.

White fixed-wing drone marked Rantizo 100M on a launch rail, propeller spinning, a camera turret under its nose, orchards and mountains behind

Texas · Industry

Rantizo Prototype Pairs GPS With LORAN, Which the US Shut Off in 2010

Two weeks after its Nasdaq debut, Rantizo unveiled a surveillance drone prototype with two range targets and GPS/LORAN navigation.

Haye KestelooOct 294 min read

White Wing delivery drone with yellow wingtips and twelve hover propellers flying low past a Walmart store's Pickup sign

Drone Delivery

Wing Says Good Neighbors Fly Quiet. A Texas Yard Saw 52 Amazon Drones

Wing says drone delivery must stay safe and quiet for people who never ordered. Its 43 dBA covers cruise; its delivery hover runs about 62 decibels.

Haye KestelooOct 29

US Army sergeant in camouflage body armor lowering white Fat Shark FPV goggles over his eyes in a field of heather

Department of Defense

Pentagon's 60,000 Attack Drones Hit a 1940s Explosives Bottleneck

The Pentagon is buying 60,000 attack drones, but one 84-year-old Army plant makes all U.S. HMX and RDX. Odin Energetics says it can make a tenth of that.

Haye KestelooOct 28

Brown ceramic insulator on a wooden utility pole, outlined by a blue box labeled Flashed Insulator, with a power line wrapped across its top

Percepto

Percepto Opens Its Inspection AI to Rival Drones Under a New CEO

Percepto's Axion sells its inspection AI as software for other makers' drones and sensors, under new CEO Julien Bellanger. Its own drones stay.

Haye KestelooOct 27

A blue dragon with spread wings and lightning breath formed by thousands of drone lights over a dark Texas field at night

United States

Sky Elements Flies 10,183-Drone Dragon, Lands Two Guinness Records

Sky Elements and Damoda America set two Guinness World Records in Texas: a 10,183-drone dragon and 71,207 drones launched in a week, on Chinese hardware.

Haye KestelooOct 26

A gloved hand holds a plastic crow wrapped in black tape at night, with a gray quadcopter lying on wet leaves beside it.

Louisiana

Drone Meth Drop in a Fake Crow Earns Texas Woman 70 Months in Prison

A Texas woman got 70 months in a drone plot that sent a crow-shaped meth package to USP Pollock. A Florida man found at a nearby Airbnb got 10 years.

Haye KestelooOct 23

Zipline

Zipline Flies Teriyaki Madness in Denton, the Chain's Only DFW Shop

Teriyaki Madness started Zipline drone delivery in Denton on October 15 and promised the Metroplex and Houston. Its location finder lists one DFW shop.

Haye KestelooOct 18

A soldier in camouflage stands on a concrete riverbank holding a drone controller as a white quadcopter hovers above tall grass, with an orange buoy barrier in the river behind him.

FAA

FAA Bans Drones Along Entire US-Mexico Border Until October 2027

Three FAA NOTAMs ban drones within one nautical mile of the US-Mexico border from Monday to October 2027. CBP approves only listed missions.

Haye KestelooOct 16

Frequently asked questions

Why is counter-drone capability such a live issue in Texas specifically?

Cartel drone activity along the border has made counter-drone authority a priority for Texas law enforcement, but the state is running into a national bottleneck: Texas wants that power, and only 61 US officers are currently certified to legally operate counter-drone equipment.

How active is drone delivery in Texas?

Very. Zipline's Walmart delivery service parachuted a package into Greenville, Texas, landing feet from a parked truck, and the state hosts some of the most visible real-world delivery testing anywhere in the country, alongside broader Walmart drone network expansion.

What other kinds of drone stories come out of Texas beyond cartels and delivery?

Industrial and defense investment shows up too. Saronic is planning a $3 billion Texas shipyard for drone ships, and League City police plan to fly BRINC 911 drones by December, both signs of Texas drone activity extending well past border security.

Texas

Key facts

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Frequently asked questions

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