A U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) MQ-9B SkyGuardian drone conducted a surveillance flight over Mexico on Wednesday, according to flight-tracking data.
FlightRadar24 shows the drone departed from Texas on Wednesday morning and arrived in Valle de Bravo, a municipality in the State of Mexico near Mexico City, at 6:43 a.m. It then patrolled Valle de Bravo and the surrounding areas, including Tejupilco for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Security Minister Omar García Harfuch confirmed the flight and said it was conducted at the request of the Mexican government.
“They fly at the specific request of an institution of the Mexican government,” García Harfuch said. “They fly specifically in support and collaboration for investigations that we have in our country.”
Although García Harfuch did not provide additional details on the purpose of the flights, local reports suggest they may be linked to investigations targeting La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM), as the patrolled areas are considered the cartel’s stronghold. The U.S. designated the group as a foreign terrorist organization earlier this year.
According to The War Zone, the MQ-9B SkyGuardian is unarmed and primarily used for surveillance and reconnaissance, while its military counterpart, the MQ-9 Reaper, can carry various weapons in addition to conducting intelligence-gathering missions.
The flight came a day after the U.S. took custody of 26 Mexican inmates, including leaders from LNFM, the Sinaloa Cartel, Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación, and Cártel del Noreste.
Earlier this year, the Central Intelligence Agency conducted MQ-9 Reaper drone flights over Mexico to monitor drug cartels and locate fentanyl labs.
