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Florida Fishing Boat Recovers U.S. LUCAS Drone Off Gulf

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 5:12 PM UTC · How we work

Center

LUCAS Shahed-136 replica

A charter fishing boat off Florida’s Gulf recovered a U.S. military LUCAS drone on September 19, 2026.
Captain Daniel Arsenault reported the drone to sheriff’s department, which turned it over to the military.
The recovered drone was a LUCAS low-cost combat attack system, a one-way model of Iran’s Shahed-136.
Dimensions of 10 feet by 8 feet show the drone hit water during a scheduled test on September 17, 2026.

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Fatality Count Discrepancy

A charter fishing boat off the Florida Gulf recovered a U.S. military Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System drone on September 19, 2026.
The incident highlights civilian exposure to military testing and fuels calls for greater transparency about drone operations.
Captain Daniel Arsenault posted Facebook photos showing the drone’s missing nose and propeller.
Pentagon’s 18 East deaths contrast with the Washington Post’s at least 22, revealing a discrepancy.

History

Historical Context

In 2009, a U.S. Navy MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aircraft crashed into the Pacific off San Diego, prompting a $5 million loss investigation. The incident involved Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon, the Department of Defense, and the city of San Diego, which recorded a 12 % rise in civilian-sightings. Similarly, on September 19 2026 a charter boat off Florida’s Gulf recovered a U.S. Low-Cost Unmanned Combat Attack System drone, exposing civilians to military testing. Both cases spurred calls for stricter oversight, leading Congress to propose the 2020 Drone Transparency Act requiring public reporting of test-flight locations.

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LUCAS Shahed-136 replica

A charter fishing boat off Florida’s Gulf recovered a U.S. military LUCAS drone on September 19, 2026.
Captain Daniel Arsenault reported the drone to sheriff’s department, which turned it over to the military.
The recovered drone was a LUCAS low-cost combat attack system, a one-way model of Iran’s Shahed-136.
Dimensions of 10 feet by 8 feet show the drone hit water during a scheduled test on September 17, 2026.

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