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Skydio X10 drone. Credit: Skydio <br /> In the near future when Santa Ana residents look up and see the police <br /> department's drones flying overhead, they will be looking at the same type of <br /> drone that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) used against Palestinians in Gaza <br /> at the start of the genocide. That's if the city council tonight votes in favor of <br /> purchasing the Skydio drones listed on the staff report slated for the council's <br /> consideration. Skydio, a Silicon Valley-based drone manufacturer and Israeli- <br /> genocide profiteer has partnered with Axon, a body-worn camera <br /> manufacturer and Israeli-apartheid profiteer, to mass distribute its drones to <br /> police across the US, federal agencies including Immigration and Customs <br /> Enforcement (ICE), and military. It is no secret that American weapons and <br /> technology have enabled Israel's genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, <br /> however, the Santa Ana Police Department's (SAPD) move to purchase <br /> Skydio's X10 drones is a clear example of the imperial <br /> boomerang completing yet another arc: ensuring the war comes home. <br /> In 2023, Skydio sent the OF over one-hundred drones at the start of the <br /> genocide. The company's artificial intelligence (AI) system that powers the <br /> drones was then trained and refined on Palestinians during the onslaught that <br /> followed, according to reports. SAPD is now taking steps to deploy that same <br /> system in Santa Ana. The drones are capable of autonomous flights, feature <br /> thermal cameras and are connected to Axon's centralized database called <br /> Axon Evidence. They can track and follow a person or car moving through a <br /> city. During the genocide in Gaza, the OF used the drones for <br /> reconnaissance and mapping structures. According to a report, Skydio <br /> maintains an office in Israel and is partnered with Israeli company <br /> DefenSync to continue selling to the IDF. <br /> ICE also purchased Skydio drones in 2025 and 2024 through another of <br /> Skydio's partners, Atlantic Diving Supply. Since at least 2021, ICE has <br /> purchased X1 OD drones, a military variant of the X10 SAPD wants to bring to <br /> Santa Ana. <br />