Jason Brooks, 49, was arrested on August 19, 2025, in Lutz, Hillsborough County, Florida, after crashing a drone loaded with narcotics into a private residence and personally going to attempt to retrieve it.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) confirmed that the device contained several bags of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to the official statement from the HCSO, the events occurred at the 18500 block of Hannah Michaela Lane.
At 1:30 a.m., the homeowners reported to the authorities that an unknown man appeared at their front door requesting to retrieve a drone he had crashed on their property.
Shortly before, the residents had heard a loud crash against the back of the house and, upon inspecting the area, discovered the drone in their backyard.
The owners noticed a flashing light coming from the drone and brought it inside to examine it.
According to statements from Sheriff Chad Chronister, the drone was carrying a brown cloth bag: "Inside this cloth bag, there are four other bags. Three bags contain powdered fentanyl and one bag contains methamphetamine. Each bag has a person's name written on it, and the methamphetamine bag was labeled 'Share'."
Police intervention
The HCSO agents responded to the residence following a call from the residents.
At the location, they found Jason Brooks at the entrance, holding the drone's remote control. In the images from the body camera released by the sheriff, the moment of the arrest and the recovery of the bags is captured, including one labeled "share this."
Brooks claimed that he did not enter the backyard without permission and that he had come to look for his drone. As can be heard in the video, an officer says to him: "You know, we can't be going into people's backyards," to which Brooks replies, "I know, that's why I called."
Sheriff Chronister described the suspect's behavior as evasive: “He’s at the entrance, holding the remote control of the drone that just crashed, and as a seasoned criminal, he plays it cool: ‘I was flying my drone. I live a mile away, and I think it crashed in this area, and I'm going to the backyard to retrieve it,’” he stated. “There’s no doubt he was trying to go unnoticed.”
Charges presented
According to the statement from the HCSO and detention center records, Brooks was taken into custody without bail due to an active arrest warrant in Pasco County for failing to appear in court in a probation violation case.
The charges he faces include:
-Possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver (x2)
-Possession of a controlled substance
-Driving an unregistered vehicle
-Assign an unallocated label
-Driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license
-Arrest warrant for failure to appear (Pasco County)
The drone and the seized substances were handed over by the owners to the agents. The sheriff confirmed that investigators are analyzing the drone's data to determine its trajectory and whether it was part of a larger distribution operation.
Judicial detention
Brooks appeared remotely before a judge in Hillsborough County the following Wednesday. Although he was granted bail on the local charges, he remains in custody due to the pending court order in the neighboring county.
The incident took place in Lutz, an unincorporated community located about 15 miles north of Tampa. According to the Miami Herald, Brooks resides in the same area.
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