In my mind, it’s like found objects with no names on them. You could take them to the police to see if they could return them. My understanding is that if no one claims it within thirty days, it’s yours. That would be the ethical thing to do, I think. Treat as you would treat finding $1,000.
I’m sure some people think that if they find it on the street (or attached to their car), it’s theirs. That seems to be what people in my neighborhood think. If we want to get rid of something, we put it on the street and it’s usually gone before the trash men get here. Other people think that if it’s unsecured on someone’s back deck, it’s theirs, too. So there are a range of interpretations about who “free stuff” belongs to.
Anyway, I think they should return it to the police and see what happens. If they get it back, then they can sell it on eBay if they so choose.
Then there’s the issue of the feds showing up and acting all tough, which is pretty obnoxious. Clearly they are embarrassed, and they know that their investigation has been compromised. Besides, they look like idiots to their bosses and to the public. So embarrassment could explain their grouchiness when retrieving the item.
In any case, there’s no need to be impolite. They could tell the guy, very politely that they’d made a mistake and put the device on the wrong car and could they have it back please. “I’m sure you support our efforts to keep America safe, sir.”
Yup. Sure I do.