Unregistered Drone Charges: What the Barksdale Air Force Base Indictment Shows

Flying an unregistered drone is usually treated as paperwork. A federal case in Louisiana shows it can be the more serious charge. Prosecutors have indicted a man for flying an unregistered DJI Air 3 around Barksdale Air Force Base from 22 to 26 March 2026, and the registration count carries a higher maximum sentence than the airspace count, DroneXL reported on 24 October.

The defendant, Fuad Mousa Naji, was arrested in Michigan on 29 September and is due in federal court in Shreveport on 2 December. An indictment is an accusation, and he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

What the Barksdale indictment charges

There are two counts. The first accuses Naji of knowingly and willfully operating a drone he knew was not registered, under 49 U.S.C. § 46306. The second charges a violation of national defense airspace under § 46307. Each count carries a forfeiture notice, according to local station KSLA.

The maximums are the part every hobbyist should notice. A first airspace offense under § 46307 is capped at one year in prison. The registration offense under § 46306 runs to three years. Together the two counts carry a combined statutory maximum of four years. That is a ceiling, not a likely sentence, but it shows how seriously federal law treats an unregistered drone once it is flown somewhere sensitive.

Why an unregistered drone becomes the bigger charge

Barksdale is home to the 2nd Bomb Wing’s B-52H bombers and the headquarters of Air Force Global Strike Command. A shelter-in-place order on 9 March opened a week of drone incursions over the base that ran to 15 March. The period in this indictment starts a week after that, and neither of the local reports says how investigators linked these flights to Naji or whether his drone was one of the earlier ones.

What the case does show is how prosecutors build a charge. Proving intent around restricted airspace can be hard. Proving that a drone over 250 g was never registered is simple, because the registry either has it or it does not. That makes registration the easiest federal offense to stack on top of any other.

Do you need to register your drone?

The DJI Air 3 weighs about 720 g, far over the FAA’s 250 g line. In the US, a recreational pilot must register any drone over 250 g with the FAA. It costs $5, covers every drone that pilot owns for three years, and the registration number has to be marked on the aircraft. Registered drones must also broadcast Remote ID; our Remote ID guide explains how. Anyone flying for work needs to register every drone regardless of weight and hold a Part 107 certificate.

If you are not sure which side of the line your drone sits on, our drone registration guide lists the thresholds by country, including models that land within a few grams of 250 g. State law can add to this: New York, for example, now makes it a crime to fly within 500 feet of certain sites, with a hobby exemption only for drones under 249.5 g, as covered in our New York drone law explainer.

What the unregistered drone case means for ordinary pilots

Most unregistered drones are never prosecuted, and this case involves a military base during a period of repeated incursions. Still, the lesson is cheap to act on. Five dollars and ten minutes on the FAA site remove the charge with the highest maximum in this indictment. Keep clear of military bases and other restricted airspace, check the B4UFLY app or an FAA-approved equivalent before you fly, and keep your registration certificate on your phone.