Drug Cartels Flying Drones With Explosives Near U.S. Border: Report

Mexican drug cartels are using drones packed with explosives in an area just south of the U.S. southern border, alarming members of the U.S. military as well as lawmakers in Congress.

Los Salazar, a cell of the infamous Sinaloa Cartel, is dropping explosives on its rival cartel Los Pelones only two miles from the U.S. border, the New York Post reported.

In March, Air Force Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of North American Defense Command and US Northern Command, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that more than 1,000 drones a month were crossing the U.S. border; border agents told The Post the cartels used drones to surveil U.S. law enforcement.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) who, back in December 2023, joined House Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) in urging the Department of Defense (DoD) to prevent U.S. technology from equipping Chinese-backed drones, has introduced an amendment to the NDAA requiring the DoD to implement countermeasures against drones by creating a Counter Unmanned Aviation Systems (CUAS) task force, the Post reported.

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“On Border Czar Kamala Harris’ watch, murderous drug cartels are controlling the southern border and using drones for turf war attacks within miles of the United States,” Ernst told The Post. “These thugs must be held accountable. That’s why I’m equipping the Pentagon to respond to these incursions by any means necessary.”

The legislation would create a Counter Unmanned Aviation Systems (CUAS) task force and various reporting requirements for unmanned aerial incursions in US airspace.

Last December, Ernst wrote, “The U.S. Department of Defense should not be recommending approval of export control licenses for U.S. technology that advances DJI’s capabilities, which are actively being leveraged by our adversaries in attacks against our allies and partners, from Eastern Europe to Israel.”

In April, Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Roger Wicker (R-MS) stated in an op-ed:

The first problem is that our nation lacks adequate drone detection capability. We still rely on the early warning radars that served us so well during the Cold War. Today, though, they are unable to detect, identify and track small aircraft at both high and low altitudes. Inside the United States, we can hardly track anything other than commercial aircraft. Almost none of our domestic military bases have the sensors to identify small drones. … The United States must launch a broad overhaul of its detection capabilities and streamline its ability to respond once a threat is identified.  …

As Iran’s attack on Israel proved, our adversaries see drones as an inexpensive, deadly solution to penetrate the most sophisticated layered air defenses. There is no reason to think the challenge is limited to the skies over Iraq and Israel; it could threaten the United States, and fast. That means U.S. policymakers have no time to spare in generating a better blueprint for defenses against drones.