Drone packed with drugs hits home, then pilot comes looking for it, FL deputies say
A drone stuffed with narcotics crashed into a Florida home at 1:30 a.m., and the situation got even stranger when the operator came knocking at the door, investigators say.
It happened Tuesday, Aug. 19, at a single-family home in the Lutz area, and the stranger wanted permission to retrieved his drone — and his drugs — from the home’s backyard, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
The homeowners called the sheriff’s office instead, resulting in a surreal exchange during which the 49-year-old man explained he was trying to be respectful by not searching the yard without permission, video shows.
A deputy recovered the drone and its contents, including a bag containing a crystallin-substance that was labeled “Share this,” video shows.
The man, who lives in Lutz, was arrested in front of the home, and the sheriff’s office reports he was charged with:
- Two counts of possession of controlled substance with intent to sell or deliver
- Possession of controlled substance
- Operating an unregistered vehicle
- Attaching a tag not assigned to a vehicle
- Driving while license canceled, suspended or revoked
The man is also wanted on a warrant out of Pasco County for failure to appear in court on a probation violation, jail records show.
Lutz is an unincorporated community about a 15-mile drive north from Tampa
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 11:36 AM with the headline "Drone packed with drugs hits home, then pilot comes looking for it, FL deputies say."