Drones swarm over US border

DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) officials have revealed that Mexican drug cartels flew nearly 60,000 drone missions along the U.S.- Mexico border over a six‑month span from July to December 2024. That breaks down to an average of 328 incursions per day, with drones coming within approximately 500 meters of U.S. territory, raising serious concerns about safety, surveillance, and smuggling tactics.

Most of these drone flights are happening at night and are flying at altitudes that are restricted in both Mexico and the United States - 400 feet in the U.S. and 120 meters in Mexico. These flights enable the drone operators to spot where U.S. Border Patrol personnel are located so that they can smuggle narcotics and contraband across the border undetected, and well as to conduct hostile surveillance of border security personnel. 

DHS emphasizes that it’s becoming increasingly likely that drone-enabled attacks will be directed at U.S. Border Patrol personnel. This has already happened in Mexico. Last January, members of transnational criminal organizations attacked a column of Mexican soldiers and police officers in the northern border state of Chihuahua. In August 2024, two Mexican soldiers were killed by explosives dropped from a drone in Michoacan state. Warring cartel factions have also attacked each other using drone delivered explosives.

In response to the escalating drone threat, Mexican authorities are in ongoing collaboration with U.S. officials to monitor and address the situation. The shared intelligence efforts aim to curtail drone incursions and to strengthen border security protocols.