US security officials indicated on July 22 that they fear Mexican cartels will attack the southern border using drones.
“It is only a matter of time before Americans or law enforcement are targeted in the border region,” Steven Willoughby, director of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program Management Office, Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, at the Department of Homeland Security, said in an appearance before the US Senate.
He noted that almost daily, transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) use drones to transport illicit narcotics and contraband across US borders, while conducting “hostile surveillance” against law enforcement.
“In the last six months of 2024, more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters of the southern border.
Most were flying above 120 meters (the maximum permitted altitude for drones in both the United States and Mexico),” the official said.
