The letter, signed by House China select committee chair Mike Gallagher and the panel's top Democrat Raja Krishnamoorthi, asked the Commerce, Defense and Treasury departments to investigate Autel Robotics, whose parent company is Autel Intelligent Technology.

The letter said Autel Robotics is openly affiliated with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) "and poses a direct threat to U.S. national security as local law enforcement and state and local governments are purchasing and operating Autel drones, potentially exposing sensitive data across the country."

(Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chris Reese)