U.S. Military Escalates Surveillance of Mexican Drug Cartels Using Advanced Spy Planes

President Trump deploys high-tech reconnaissance aircraft and thousands of troops to the southern border in an unprecedented counternarcotics operation.

The U.S. military has conducted at least 18 surveillance flights over the southwestern U.S. and near the California Peninsula in a 10-day span, utilizing advanced aircraft like Navy P-8s and the Cold War-era U-2 spy plane.
This marks a significant escalation in counternarcotics efforts, with the military shifting resources from overseas operations to focus on Mexican drug cartels, which Trump has designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
The intelligence-gathering flights aim to monitor cartel activity and may be laying the groundwork for potential military action, though no strikes have been confirmed.
President Trump has also declared a national emergency at the border, deployed thousands of additional troops, and pressured Mexico to increase its military presence along the border by threatening economic tariffs.
Concerns have been raised about the potential impact on U.S.-Mexico relations, as military actions targeting cartels could violate Mexico's sovereignty and disrupt cooperation with its government.