CIA Drone Flights Over Mexico Target Cartels as Tensions Rise

The Trump administration intensifies counter-cartel measures, deploying surveillance drones and considering cartel terrorist designations.

The CIA is conducting covert surveillance flights using MQ-9 Reaper drones over Mexican airspace to locate fentanyl labs and monitor cartel activities.
These flights, part of an expanded counter-cartel strategy, were initiated under the Biden administration but have been escalated by President Trump.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum asserts the drone operations are coordinated with her government, though conflicting reports suggest limited transparency on U.S. activities.
Trump's administration is moving toward designating Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, potentially enabling broader U.S. military actions.
The unarmed drones are gathering intelligence, but they could be armed for precision strikes in the future, raising concerns about sovereignty and escalation.