The day much of the US drone community has been dreading is officially here. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has taken its most decisive step yet against foreign-made drones, adding DJI, Autel, and other overseas manufacturers to its national security “Covered List.” The move effectively blocks new drone models from entering the US market, marking the end of weeks of uncertainty, reviews, and waiting, as federal agencies ran out the clock on whether companies like DJI would ever clear long-promised security audits.

For years, Washington’s concerns about DJI have largely played out at the policy level: bans, warnings, executive orders, and legislation aimed squarely at the world’s largest civilian drone manufacturer. Now, that approach appears to be shifting. Instead of focusing only on DJI, US lawmakers are now publicly calling out individual American companies they believe may still be using Chinese drones at some of the country’s most sensitive sites.