The United States has been conducting highly classified surveillance operations inside Mexico using unarmed drones to track drug cartels, according to U.S. and Mexican officials speaking to The Wall Street Journal.
The intelligence gathered from these flights has reportedly played a critical role in the arrests of key cartel figures, including Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel. The operations, carried out by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), were launched at the request of the Mexican military and have been ongoing for more than two decades.
According to The Wall Street Journal, U.S. drones have been instrumental in identifying remote fentanyl production sites and monitoring the movements of cartel leaders. Intelligence from the drone program assisted Mexican authorities in capturing Guzmán twice – first in 2014 at a hotel in Mazatlán and again in 2016 in Los Mochis, after he had escaped from a maximum-security prison the previous year. Surveillance drones were also used in 2023 to locate and arrest his son, Ovidio Guzmán, during a large-scale military operation in Culiacán.
The surveillance program relies on MQ-9 Reaper drones, which are commonly deployed in counterterrorism missions worldwide. These drones have extended flight times and advanced reconnaissance capabilities, allowing them to operate deep within cartel strongholds, particularly in western Mexico’s mountainous regions. U.S. Air Force General Glen VanHerck, former commander of U.S. Northern Command, stated that Mexico’s military is capable of confronting cartel threats when provided with intelligence support. “We just need to do it quietly and not brag about it,” he told The Wall Street Journal.
Despite the program’s success, the use of U.S. drones inside Mexico has sparked debate about sovereignty and foreign intervention. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has emphasized that the flights are part of long-standing cooperation between the two governments. ““These flights are part of the coordination… collaborations that have been going on for many years between the U.S. and Mexican governments,” Sheinbaum stated in a press conference.
Meanwhile, Mexican Defense Minister General Ricardo Trevilla clarified that the surveillance missions were not directed by former U.S. President Donald Trump but were initiated at Mexico’s request.
The political ramifications of U.S. involvement in Mexico’s security affairs remain a contentious issue. The Trump administration designated Mexican drug cartels, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco organizations, as foreign terrorist groups, raising concerns over possible military action. Trump has also proposed imposing 25% tariffs on Mexico if fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration are not curbed. Meanwhile, in response to growing public scrutiny, Sheinbaum’s government has proposed constitutional reforms aimed at reinforcing Mexico’s sovereignty and limiting foreign intervention.
