A Predator Drone, more commonly used by the CIA to hunt and assassinate terrorists, has tracked down a North Dakota family, who allegedly stole three cows that wandered onto their farmland earlier this year.

The Brossart family was arrested after the drone helped detectives spy on them. The family become the first known American citizens to be victims of Predator Drones, which the government has made available to local sheriffs and police chiefs.

Local authorities have said that the family is well-known in the area for being armed, as well as being anti-government separatists.

The incident was sparked when cattle accidently wandered onto the family’s land. The Brossarts were arrested for failing to report the stray livestock. The daughter was also arrested after allegedly hitting an officer when they came to arrest her parents.

Police officers came to take away the lost cattle, but were confronted by three Brossart sons carrying rifles and shotguns. The sheriff’s response was to call on the MG-9 Predator B drone – which has a value of more than $150 million.

The sheriff was able to spy on the family to see when they had put down their weapons; they stormed the family’s compound and arrested the three sons without any shots needing to be fired.

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