Venezuala sent 250 metric tons of coke into the US in 2025. That's about 10,000 flights of the biggest drones available.
A really big commercially available 'heavy lift' drone can carry about 20kg, worth about 20K at street prices. And such drones cost upwards of $25K . Not much of a business model.
ETA My math is bad and I should feel bad. 20 kg of coke at street price ($100/gram) is $2 mil. the quantity issue is still valid.
In Crom's name, excellent piece, Dok! Especially liked how you slid in a ST:TNG reference with "According to anonymous insiders who spilled the tea (Earl Grey, hot)"
Re: MAGAts lapping up the disinformation and Big Brother propaganda, JLP'd say, "COME!"
Everybody who’s written about this so far has kinda buried the lede (to my mind at least), that being LASER WEAPONS!? Not “laser guided” or “laser sighted” but actual Space-Invaders-Lieutenant-Starbuck-oh-hell-no-you-did-not-shoot-that-green-shit-at-me laser WEAPONS?
When did that happen? This is the kind of shit the interrobang was INVENTED forFFS!
Most of the delay was caused by an internal argument over whether one of the balloons was the number six or the number nine. They wanted to be accurate, you know.
And speaking of Trump's drunken minions, did you see that Pirro is suing Rye, NY because she tripped while crossing the street? Which brings to mind the old joke:
Someone there needs to check their AI against a Peterson's guide. They got osprey on their eagle.
Of course, Ben Franklin thought the national bird should be the wild turkey. Maybe that one would have scared Donny The Conqueror right out of office, and not just into shitting his pants (again) like the eagle did that one time.
You know what's weird is th US has massive powerful drug cartels too, they just call themselves pharmecutical companies.
As usual, DEA is FOS
Venezuala sent 250 metric tons of coke into the US in 2025. That's about 10,000 flights of the biggest drones available.
A really big commercially available 'heavy lift' drone can carry about 20kg, worth about 20K at street prices. And such drones cost upwards of $25K . Not much of a business model.
ETA My math is bad and I should feel bad. 20 kg of coke at street price ($100/gram) is $2 mil. the quantity issue is still valid.
I AM OK WITH SHOOTING DOWN GENDER REVEAL PARTY BALLOONS.
Except the yellow ones that say "I'll let them decide!"
In Crom's name, excellent piece, Dok! Especially liked how you slid in a ST:TNG reference with "According to anonymous insiders who spilled the tea (Earl Grey, hot)"
Re: MAGAts lapping up the disinformation and Big Brother propaganda, JLP'd say, "COME!"
Everybody who’s written about this so far has kinda buried the lede (to my mind at least), that being LASER WEAPONS!? Not “laser guided” or “laser sighted” but actual Space-Invaders-Lieutenant-Starbuck-oh-hell-no-you-did-not-shoot-that-green-shit-at-me laser WEAPONS?
When did that happen? This is the kind of shit the interrobang was INVENTED forFFS!
They are a significant part of the Ukraine war.
They need to DOGE all the staffers who're responsible for all these f*ckups. But who'd be left to blame?
And who’d fly them back to HQ?
We are one step away from sharks with frickin' laser beams attached to their heads.
Sharknados!
Or cats.
I didn’t think authoritarian dystopia would have comic relief.
Pew! Pew!
Pretending I was Han Solo as a kid LIBEL!!!
The louder you shouted "PEW" THE more accurate your gun was.
Most of the delay was caused by an internal argument over whether one of the balloons was the number six or the number nine. They wanted to be accurate, you know.
I thought it was six...seven?
#thebestpeople
And speaking of Trump's drunken minions, did you see that Pirro is suing Rye, NY because she tripped while crossing the street? Which brings to mind the old joke:
Q: Why did Pirro cross the road?
A: To get to the other box of wine.
Jeanine trips all the time. I'm constantly having to pick her up off the sidewalk!
Someone there needs to check their AI against a Peterson's guide. They got osprey on their eagle.
Of course, Ben Franklin thought the national bird should be the wild turkey. Maybe that one would have scared Donny The Conqueror right out of office, and not just into shitting his pants (again) like the eagle did that one time.
And all of a sudden I'm back in the 80's with Ms. Nena..
There is a limit to how many clowns will fit into the Trump-mobile. We just don't know how many it is yet.
A whole lot, especially if you use the compactor.
https://michiganadvance.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GettyImages-2181996277-1536x1024.jpg
Remember in 2023 when the GOP blasted Biden for shooting down a Chinese balloon? Where's the GOP outrage over party balloons???
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republicans-blast-biden-saying-suspected-chinese-spy-balloon-proves-us-rcna68976
I had to learn more about the FAA and airspace and regulations than I ever wanted to know, in order to pass the Part 107 UAS (drone) license exam.
The FAA, rightly, is paranoid about safety and will banhammer any pilot who skips steps, violates airspace, or gets sassy with ATC.
The Department of Offense, on the other hand, appears to have the opinion that rules do not apply the them.
You all can connect the dots as to why what happened happened.