Mexican pair arrested for flying drones over Joburg Jewish college

What began as a suspected drone violation over a Sandringham Jewish college quickly escalated into a high-priority investigation, culminating in the arrest of two Mexican journalists and the seizure of their electronic devices. 

CSO is clear that the incident presents no danger to the community. 

Hawks spokesperson Colonel Katlego Mogale told the SA Jewish Report that while the men’s true intentions behind flying the drone remain unknown, it has nothing to do with the Jewish community. 

Julio Ibáñez, a sports reporter at Televisa, a major Mexican broadcasting company, and Danny García, his cameraman, were arrested in a dramatic Hawks and Crime Intelligence operation on 19 March. They were released on bail six days later after appearing in the Hillbrow Magistrate’s Court. They were charged with contravening the Civil Aviation Act for flying a drone over the Jewish college without permission. 

It has been reported that the men were in the country filming for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, in which South Africa are Mexico’s first opponent. 

A Jewish person spotted the two drones above the college campus on 16 March and reported them to CSO as they found it suspicious. CSO asked not to disclose the name of the college over which the drones were flown. 

“We tried to find them but were unable to and, as a result, we went back to review camera footage to understand more about them and what they were doing. At this point, we noticed the drone in the video footage,” said CSO Chief Executive Liron Sanders. 

Mogale confirmed that the sighting was reported to the Sandringham police. 

After Crime Intelligence alerted the Hawks to the potential threat, the team traced the suspects to a hotel in Rosebank, according to Mogale. 

The Hawks arrested the suspects while Ibáñez was filming a live social media video. In the footage, he’s speaking to the camera from his hotel room about football when the camera suddenly shifts and an armed man appears behind him. Ibáñez asks what’s happening, and the video then cuts. 

Because of the live video, the arrests of Ibáñez and García have been widely reported on sports platforms and in Spanish-language media. In these reports, people seemed to believe that Ibáñez was kidnapped live on air, and the police officers were criminals targeting journalists. 

Prominent Mexican sports journalist David Faitelson, who has 3.9 million followers on X, criticised the arrests and claimed the two journalists were being held unjustly. He accuses the South African judicial system of inefficiency and corruption, expresses frustration over the men’s nearly 20-day ordeal, and ends by saying he has little confidence in the Mexican government’s ability to protect its citizens abroad. 

“The Hawks made arrests, and following the arrests, we weren’t told why they were flying the drones in the area, However, it is understood they had been touring most of South Africa and flying drones all around the country. 

“The incident, which took place more than a month ago, proves that our security systems are working. It also further reinforces the relationships between CSO and the relevant governmental organisations, who are committed to the safety of South Africans,” said Sanders. 

Mogale added that during the operation, the Department of Home Affairs detected issues with the journalists’ entry into the country. 

“We aren’t fully aware of their true intentions. Due to this now being a state investigation, we have left the evidence trail to the Hawks to maintain. We hope to find out the intentions during the court case,” said Sanders. 

The accused were granted bail of R10 000 each on 20 March. They are to appear again in court on 12 May.