A fishing expedition in the Gulf waters off Florida took an unexpected turn when a U.S. military drone became part of the catch. Daniel Arsenault, a 36-year-old charter captain, initially thought he had spotted an overturned boat. Instead, he discovered it was a military drone, he shared with AFP. Arsenault was fishing with active-duty military helicopter pilots who recognized the drone as a target variant. This recognition gave Arsenault the confidence to retrieve the drone alongside mahi-mahi caught near the device.
Once the crew returned to the dock, they took photographs of their unique haul. The pictures, along with their catch of the day, were posted on the Hot Spots Charters Facebook page. A humorous caption accompanied the images, inviting anyone missing a drone to contact Hot Spots.
A spokesperson for Eglin Air Force Base clarified that the drone was a LUCAS model, which stands for Low-cost Uncrewed Combat Attack System. The drone had impacted the water during routine testing on September 17. The spokesperson confirmed the drone’s retrieval and return to the Department of Defense. The base regularly conducts exercises in the Gulf and was underway with munitions testing that week.
In a revealing context, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) had launched a task force based in the Middle East in late 2025, equipped with LUCAS drones modeled after Iran’s Shahed drones. These drones were first utilized in combat during Operation Epic Fury, a joint American and Israeli venture against Iran initiated on February 28. The operation saw Task Force Scorpion Strike utilizing the drones for a historic one-way attack.
The discovery of a military drone is reminiscent of past unusual finds off Florida’s coast. While on a family fishing trip in 2023, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor reeled in 70 pounds of cocaine during an outing in the Florida Keys. The drug stash had an estimated value exceeding $1 million.
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