Former DEA Chief of Operations Ray Donovan alerts authorities to the growing use of drones by Mexican drug cartels, posing a significant security threat along the southern border.
Mexican drug cartels have escalated their operations by deploying drones to smuggle narcotics across the border into the United States. This alarming development was brought to light by Ray Donovan, the former Chief of Operations for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Donovan's warning comes amid growing reports of cartel-operated drones dropping explosives on Mexican soldiers in the western state of Michoacan. Defense Secretary Gen. Luis Cresencio Sandoval has confirmed the use of drone-bomb attacks, resulting in casualties among patrol units.
Cartels Unleash Drone Warfare: Former DEA Official Warns of Smuggling Threat
According to the Associated Press, Sandoval stated that the Jalisco cartel, notorious for its use of metal bomb casings on drones, has transformed the region into a warzone characterized by improvised explosive devices (IEDs), trenches, and armored vehicles.
The Mexican army has encountered a surge in drone-bomb incidents in 2023, with over 260 attacks reported so far. While road-side bombs remain more prevalent, drone-dropped explosives pose a growing threat.
Cartels Unleash Drone Warfare: Former DEA Official Warns of Smuggling Threat
In August 2023, cartel bomb attacks caused injuries to 42 soldiers, police officers, and suspects. The Mexican army has responded by deploying anti-drone systems to neutralize this emerging threat.
Donovan's warning aligns with a recent report by the DEA, which highlighted the pervasive presence of Mexican cartels in U.S. communities. The Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, in particular, have flooded major cities with methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Cartels Unleash Drone Warfare: Former DEA Official Warns of Smuggling Threat
The DEA report emphasized that these cartels' wholesale-level traffickers and street dealers contribute to the deadly drug crisis in the United States, fueling the overdose epidemic.
In April 2023, 12 traffickers linked to the Jalisco cartel were sentenced to lengthy prison terms after being apprehended in Texas for coordinating the shipment of nearly 200 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine.
Cartels Unleash Drone Warfare: Former DEA Official Warns of Smuggling Threat
Former President Donald Trump has indicated that the option of military strikes against Mexican drug cartels remains on the table, given the escalating fentanyl crisis and its devastating impact on American lives.
The U.S. Navy has agreed to assist Mexican authorities in recovering a sunken helicopter and the remains of crew members who perished while pursuing cocaine-smuggling boats in the Pacific Ocean.
The escalating use of drones by Mexican drug cartels heightens the security risks along the southern border and demands immediate action to disrupt their illicit activities and protect both U.S. and Mexican citizens.
