In Sonoma County, California, a drone surveillance program created to identify illegal cannabis cultivation has morphed into a devastating campaign against ordinary residents for minor building code violations. As detailed in Reason, this ‘runaway spying operation’ uses warrantless drone flights to levy six-figure fines, force property seizures, and trigger evictions, even against individuals not involved in growing cannabis. The article profiles multiple victims, like Keni Meyer and Mike Castagnola, who lost their homes and savings fighting a system that buried them in escalating penalties and legal fees. Framed as a critical civil liberties issue by the ACLU, which has filed a lawsuit, the program highlights the perils of unchecked surveillance, the erosion of privacy, and how technology can be weaponized against less affluent citizens, ultimately upending lives under the guise of code enforcement.