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2w ago

U.S. Officials Warn Cartel Drone Attacks on American Soil Are Imminent

U.S. security agencies are deepening cooperation on drone detection with Mexican forces in response to a threat that Mexico’s government denies.

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La presidenta Claudia Sheinbaum en su 'Conferencia del Pueblo' del 23 julio del 2025. | Crédito: Presidencia
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Overview

  • DHS program chief Steven Willoughby told the Senate that cross-border drone strikes are inevitable, highlighting the Sinaloa Cartel’s use of improvised explosives since August 2024.
  • FBI senior agent Michael Torphy said U.S. teams are embedding with Mexican military and police to train on drone operations and counter-drone tactics.
  • CBP has intercepted thousands of pounds of methamphetamine, fentanyl and other narcotics delivered by drones since 2019, including more than 545 kilograms in the latter half of 2024.
  • U.S. authorities detected over 27,000 unauthorized drone flights within 500 meters of the southern border in the past six months of 2024, many operating above legal altitude limits.
  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Navy Secretary Raymundo Morales assert that Operation Frontera has uncovered no current organized-crime drone incursions.