Laredo Seeks $11.1 Million Federal Grant to Double Its Police Drone Fleet
Laredo's council approved an $11.1 million Justice Department grant application for police drones and staff, over objections about federal strings.
Laredo has asked the U.S. Department of Justice for an estimated $11.1 million to expand its police department's drone program. The City Council signed off on the application on Oct. 5. One member voted no.
The resolution lets City Manager Joe Neeb ratify an application the department had already sent in on Sept. 1, according to the Laredo Morning Times. The money would come from the 2026 Model Cities Initiative. It would run for three years and pay for salaries, benefits, equipment, supplies and technology. The city does not have to put up any matching money, according to the council resolution.
What the money would buy
The department has eight drones now and wants to have 16, Police Chief Miguel Rodriguez said, according to the Laredo Morning Times. The paper reported the grant would also pay for counter-drone technology, drone operators, investigative support specialists and mental health staff. Some of it would fund services for victims of sex trafficking and other crimes.
Rodriguez said the request leaves out Flock Safety and other license plate reader systems, and it does not include a 287(g) immigration enforcement agreement. Deputy Chief Edgar Garza wrote the application. He called it a "multifaceted approach" to growing the department's technology and services "without Flock."
The objections
Several residents and attorneys asked the council to turn the grant down. Max Prado of the Laredo Immigrant Alliance told KGNS, "This is not just a free $11 million. There's a lot of strings attached to this funding."
Karen Munoz is a District VIII resident and a policy attorney with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center. She told the Laredo Morning Times the grant terms could give the Justice Department a lot of say over the city's priorities. She also said a required certification could limit how far Laredo can restrict communication with federal immigration authorities.
Rodriguez said officers will not ask anyone to prove immigration status. "We don't even have the manpower to answer our own calls," he said, according to KGNS. District VIII Councilmember Alyssa Cigarroa cast the only vote against the application.
What happens next
A decision on the award is expected in December, the Morning Times reported. If Laredo is picked, the department will bring its detailed spending requests back to the council. Rodriguez said the council would get another chance to review the spending if Laredo is selected.
That second vote is where residents should pay attention. Federal grants come with strings, and the strings should be read in full before anything is signed. When the police chief says his department lacks the manpower to answer its own calls, the need is real. The council owes the public a clear account of what Washington expects in return.
Hero photo: Not home at en.wikipedia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped and resized.
