In late October 2025, a Homeland Security Investigations agent applied for a warrant to attach a tracking device to a Tesla in Milwaukee. The target was Sam Stair, a landlord suspected of using rental properties as a front for drug trafficking. Agents believed Stair used the white Tesla to travel to locations connected to the drug organization, and a judge approved the warrant the same day it was filed.
The device was never installed. A court filing said the warrant was not executed due to "security protocols active on Tesla." The documents do not explain exactly what blocked the attempt, though the article notes that Tesla's Sentry Mode is a plausible explanation. Sentry Mode uses the car's external cameras to record activity around it, sound an alarm, and notify the owner through the Tesla app when someone approaches.
The failed tracking did not derail the investigation. Stair and 17 other people were arrested in May on drug trafficking charges. Stair pleaded not guilty and was released from jail on bond while awaiting trial.