Walmart’s new drone deliveries in New Caney are drawing a crowd on social media, and some commenters have joked about using the aircraft for target practice now that duck season is near. Federal authorities treat that as a serious crime rather than a joke. The drones, which carry packages of up to three pounds to homes within about seven miles of the store, are operated by Wing, the Alphabet-owned company. Walmart runs Wing drone hubs across the Houston area, including in New Caney, Spring, Crosby, Katy and Kemah. Under federal law, these drones are aircraft, the same legal category as a passenger airliner. The Federal Aviation Administration has said that shooting at a drone is illegal and that it can be prosecuted under the same federal statute that protects manned aircraft. That law, Title 18 of the U.S. Code, Section 32, makes it a crime to willfully damage, destroy or disable an aircraft operating in commerce, and it carries a penalty of up to 20 years in federal prison along with heavy fines. Even threatening to shoot down an aircraft can bring up to five years in federal prison. Someone who fires at a delivery drone in Montgomery County could also face state charges. Depending on where the shot is fired and what it hits, those could include criminal mischief for destroying property, along with deadly conduct or discharging a firearm in a public or residential area. Drones fly over homes, yards, and roads, and every round fired into the air comes back down somewhere. It has already happened elsewhere. In 2024, a 72-year-old man in Lake County, Florida, was arrested after he fired at a Walmart delivery drone. He was charged with shooting at an aircraft, criminal mischief over $1,000, and discharging a firearm in a public or residential area. Similar cases in New Jersey, Kentucky, and California have ended in arrests, criminal mischief charges, and lawsuits from drone owners. Walmart and Wing say customers within the delivery area can order through the Walmart app and have items lowered by tether to their yard in as little as 30 minutes. Residents with concerns about drone flights over their property can contact the FAA or local law enforcement instead of taking matters into their own hands. Hunters heading out this season are reminded that waterfowl hunting rules, including shooting hours, where you can shoot, and safe shooting distances, still apply.
