by PHILADELPHIA, PA — A Chinese national convicted of using a drone to illegally photograph U.S. military bases has been deported, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
On May 7, 2025, ICE officials removed Fengyun Shi from the United States, marking the conclusion of a high-profile case involving national security concerns that spanned multiple states and began at San Francisco International Airport.
Shi entered the U.S. on August 11, 2021, on an F-1 student visa to study agricultural engineering at the University of Minnesota. However, his stay took a turn when the FBI arrested him on January 18, 2024, in San Francisco.
Shi was charged with operating a drone in restricted airspace, violating national defense airspace regulations, and taking unauthorized photographs of naval bases in Norfolk, Virginia, according to ICE.
Just a week after his arrest, the U.S. Department of State revoked his visa, and by February 2024, the University of Minnesota removed him from its Student and Exchange Visitor Program.
On October 2, 2024, Shi was convicted in federal court in Newport News, Virginia, for using a drone to take images of sensitive military locations. He was sentenced to six months in prison and one year of supervised release.
Following his release from federal prison on March 7, 2025, ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) in Philadelphia took custody of Shi and transferred him to Clinton County Correctional Facility in Pennsylvania. He was issued a notice to appear in immigration court.
On March 24, 2025, an immigration judge in Elizabeth, New Jersey, signed a final order for Shi’s removal from the country.
