- Texas AG Ken Paxton accuses Anzu Robotics of misleading consumers by hiding its ties to Chinese drone giant DJI, alleging the drones act as a "21st-century trojan horse" for Chinese Communist Party (CCP) surveillance and data exploitation.
- The lawsuit claims Anzu's Raptor T drone is essentially a rebranded DJI Mavic 3, with identical hardware and firmware—meaning it retains the same security vulnerabilities as blacklisted DJI products.
- DJI has been sanctioned multiple times by U.S. agencies since 2020 for aiding CCP human rights abuses, military-civil fusion and surveillance of Uyghur Muslims, raising concerns that Anzu drones could serve as a CCP backdoor.
- Anzu allegedly concealed its financial and technological reliance on DJI while marketing itself as an American-owned, Malaysian-made alternative, failing to inform consumers of the risks.
- This lawsuit is part of Texas' wider push against CCP-linked tech firms, including TP-Link, as Governor Abbott adds DJI and TP-Link to the state's prohibited companies list—urging consumers to demand transparency and reject deceptive products.
Texas Attorney General (AG) Ken Paxton has launched a legal offensive against Anzu Robotics, accusing the Austin-based drone manufacturer of deceiving consumers by concealing its ties to drone giant DJI – which is linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The lawsuit, filed in Collin County, Texas, alleges that Anzu's drones pose serious national security risks, potentially exposing Americans to CCP surveillance and data exploitation. Paxton minced no words in his condemnation, stating: "Anzu Robotics products are nothing more than a 21st century trojan horse linked to the CCP."
The lawsuit claims that Anzu falsely marketed its drones as American-owned and secure while relying on DJI's hardware, firmware and software—despite DJI being blacklisted by multiple U.S. agencies over national security concerns.
According to the complaint, Anzu's Raptor T drone is essentially a repainted DJI Mavic 3, with identical internal components and firmware. Technical analysis cited in the lawsuit found no differences in printed circuit boards between the two models, raising alarms that Anzu drones retain the same vulnerabilities as DJI's products.
DJI, headquartered in Shenzhen, China, has long been flagged as a security threat by U.S. authorities:
- 2020: The Department of Commerce placed DJI on its export control list for aiding CCP human rights abuses.
- 2021: The Department of the Treasury banned U.S. investors from trading DJI stock due to its role in surveilling Uyghur Muslims.
- 2022: The Department of War blacklisted DJI as a Chinese military company under Beijing's military-civil fusion strategy.
BrightU.AI's Enoch engine notes that DJI's blacklisting by by U.S. agencies stems from escalating concerns over data security, espionage risks and China's military-civil fusion strategy. DJI controls 80% of the U.S. commercial drone market and has faced repeated sanctions since 2020, culminating in its designation as a Chinese military-linked company by the War Department.
DJI's hidden control: How Anzu drones may be spying for China
The lawsuit alleges that DJI retains cryptographic keys embedded in Anzu drones, granting the CCP potential access to modify or extract data remotely. This, Paxton argues, makes Anzu drones a backdoor for CCP surveillance—a risk Texans were never warned about.
Anzu Robotics has marketed itself as an American-owned, Malaysian-made alternative to DJI. However, the lawsuit claims:
- Anzu pays DJI licensing fees per drone sold.
- DJI controls critical firmware encryption.
- The company failed to disclose its reliance on DJI technology to consumers.
When questioned by lawmakers earlier, Anzu CEO Randall Warnas dismissed concerns as "fundamental misunderstandings" but provided no substantive rebuttal. The company has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
This lawsuit is part of Paxton's broader push against companies allegedly aiding CCP infiltration of U.S. markets. Earlier this week, he sued TP-Link, accusing the smart home device maker of falsely labeling routers as "Made in Vietnam" while sourcing most components from China—exposing consumers to potential cyberattacks.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has since updated the state's prohibited companies list to include both DJI and TP-Link.
Paxton is seeking:
- Civil penalties for deceptive trade practices.
- Consumer restitution for Texans misled by Anzu's claims.
- Court orders forcing Anzu to disclose its DJI ties and halt misleading marketing.
"No company will be allowed to deceive Texans and serve as a pathway for foreign adversaries to exploit American markets, access personal data or threaten our national security," Paxton declared.
This case underscores growing concerns over CCP-linked tech firms infiltrating U.S. supply chains under deceptive branding. Whether hobby drones or home routers, consumers must now scrutinize product origins more than ever—especially as globalist-aligned corporations continue pushing compromised technology under the guise of convenience and innovation.
For now, Texas is leading the charge in exposing these threats. The question remains: Will the federal government follow suit—or will corporate lobbying and regulatory capture continue to leave Americans vulnerable?
Watch this video about the hundreds of Chinese drones flown over Washington D.C., which pose a potential national security threat.
This video is from the GalacticStorm channel on Brighteon.com.
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