Ken Paxton, the Texas Attorney General has issued a lawsuit against Anzu robotics alleging that the company did not disclose ties it has with a Chinese drone manufacturer DJI, which was been placed on the U.S. export blacklist in 2020. DJI, based in Shenzhen, had challenged its inclusion, arguing the Department of Defense did not have sufficient evidence. The court disagreed, finding that the agency provided enough justification to keep DJI on the list. According to the AG’s press release, The United States government has taken steps to blacklist DJI drones due to their links to the CCP, including concerns that DJI technology enables surveillance, data collection, and potential access by the Chinese government. According to the lawsuit, DJI responded to these restrictions by partnering with Anzu Robotics and using it as a passthrough entity to evade state and federal requirements and continue to sell DJI technology in the United States under a different name.
The allegations say Anzu failed to disclose its business relationship with DJI and falsely claimed that its drones would not be tied to the CCP. However, an investigation by Attorney General Paxton’s office identified concerns that Anzu drones use DJI hardware, DJI-signed and encrypted firmware, and DJI software components, which leave the same vulnerabilities intact.
Anzu Robotics is an Austin, Texas-based, American-owned company that produces secure, high-performance commercial drones, specifically the Raptor and Raptor T series. Launched in April 2024, these drones are manufactured in Malaysia and designed for industries needing reliable data security, featuring 45-minute flight times, 56x zoom, and thermal options, with software by Aloft.
Nearly all of the components and final assembly of Anzu drones is done in Malaysia. The completed drone hardware is sent to Anzu Robotics in the United States and firmware is then installed and quality control measures are conducted.
SZ DJI Technology Co., Ltd., founded in 2006 and headquartered in Shenzhen, China, is the world’s dominant manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones). Controlling over 70% of the global consumer and enterprise drone market, DJI produces advanced imaging technology, including the Mavic, Phantom, and Avata series
Jeffrey Newman, JD MBA, is a whistleblower lawyer whose firm represents whistleblowers of violations of export controls, tariff evasions, money laundering, healthcare fraud and other kinds of WB cases. Mr. Newman and his staff also represent physicians who become whistleblowers in major healthcare fraud cases. Whistleblower laws in the U.S. allow individuals anywhere with information about export control violations or tariff fraud to reveal the information under The False Claims act or through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Whistleblower Program. The Firm’s website is at www.JeffNewmanLaw.com and attorney Newman can be reached at Jeff@Jeffnewmanlaw.com or at 978-880-4758. FOR OTHER ARTICLES LIKE THIS and WHISTLEBLOWER INFO PLEASE SEE http://JeffNewmanLaw.com
