Drone During Storm (Photo credit: Truthout.org)

By Jason Koebler

The Federal Bureau of Investigations uses surveillance drones domestically without clear guidelines for their use, FBI director Robert Mueller told Congress Wednesday.

That the FBI has drones at their disposal should surprise no one. The agency has used drones before, most notably during a hostage standoff in Alabama earlier this year. But Mueller said that the agency is still working on developing guidelines for the use of surveillance drones. The Department of Homeland Security and the Drug Enforcement Administration also have unarmed Predator drones at their disposal.

During a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) asked Mueller “Does the FBI use drones for surveillance on U.S. soil?”

Mueller replied “yes,” but added that they are “very seldom used and generally used in a particular incident where you need the capability.”

Domestically, Predator drones have led to only one arrest: Ranch owner Rodney Brossart was arrested in 2011 on his North Dakota ranch after a 16-hour armed standoff with Grand Forks police. The SWAT team there used a drone to make sure it was safe to raid the ranch. A District Court judge upheld the use of the drone, saying “there was no improper use of an unmanned aerial vehicle” during the arrest. Brossart was allegedly tased, and his lawyer claims “guerilla-like police tactics” were used to make the arrest. Brossart was not seriously injured.

Read More FBI Uses Drones for Surveillance, Without Clear Guidelines – US News and World Report.