Federal authorities say unmanned aircraft activity tied to Mexican cartels is expanding rapidly, with tens of thousands of near-border detections recorded in a single fiscal year.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
U.S. Customs and Border Protection detected more than 42,000 unmanned aerial flights near the southern border during fiscal year 2025, according to figures disclosed in a Breitbart report detailing the FY25 drone totals.
In a statement provided to Breitbart Texas, a CBP official described the counter-unmanned aerial systems environment as “rapidly evolving,” adding that cartel tactics continue to adapt.
“The counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) environment is rapidly evolving, as are cartel tactics,” the official said. “In FY25, CBP detected over 42,000 near-border, unmanned drone flights. This highlights the magnitude of the problem, even if not every one of those threats was nefarious.”
The agency’s data follows prior congressional testimony reported by Fox News, in which a senior Department of Homeland Security counter-drone official stated that cartels launched 60,000 drone flights between July and December 2024. That six-month period averaged more than 300 flights per day and included activity detected across multiple agencies on both sides of the border.
Federal officials say cartel drone operations serve multiple functions, including monitoring Border Patrol movements, identifying enforcement gaps, guiding migrant groups and coordinating narcotics trafficking. Authorities have also expressed concern about the potential weaponization of drones.
In October, Breitbart Texas reported the arrest of a suspected Gulf Cartel operator in Reynosa, Tamaulipas. According to officials cited in that account, the individual possessed 151 drone explosives, 18 drones, three improvised explosive devices and additional weapons, along with three advanced anti-drone systems.
The use of drones to deploy explosives has been documented previously. In April 2021, Breitbart’s Cartel Chronicles Project published images and reporting on cartels weaponizing commercial drones. In a related incident, Mexican authorities confirmed that two police officers in Michoacán were injured in a cartel drone attack.
Recent activity has also affected U.S. airspace. Breitbart Texas reported that the Federal Aviation Administration temporarily closed airspace over El Paso after a suspected drone incursion. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the FAA and Department of Defense “acted swiftly to address the drone incursion,” before later acknowledging that at least one object downed during the response was a balloon.
Breitbart also reported on La Linea’s operations south of El Paso, describing the faction as operating through decentralized cells and maintaining trafficking routes into Texas and New Mexico. The article noted that both La Linea and the Sinaloa Cartel continue to move narcotics through the region, while Cartel Jalisco New Generation maintains a presence in Ciudad Juárez through an alliance with La Línea.
At the beginning of the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of State designated six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. La Linea was not included on that list. As Breitbart Texas previously reported, relatives of U.S. children killed in cartel violence have urged the administration to designate La Linea as a terror group.
Law enforcement officials in the border region say drones frequently operate at night and at altitudes designed to evade detection while maintaining visibility over agents on the ground. Repeated flights enable traffickers to collect information on patrol patterns, response times and vulnerable areas.
Despite the scale of the activity, federal authorities face regulatory and jurisdictional limitations in countering unmanned systems. Federal Aviation Administration rules restrict deployment of certain counter-UAS technologies, and overlapping authority between the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense and Department of Justice can complicate operational response.
With DHS testimony citing 60,000 cartel drone flights in six months and CBP confirming 42,000 near-border detections in FY25, federal data indicates that unmanned aircraft have become an entrenched component of cartel operations along the U.S.–Mexico border.
Breitbart further reported that the La Linea faction controls territory south of El Paso. The article stated that La Linea operates as a network of cells rather than a strict hierarchy and maintains trafficking routes into Texas and New Mexico alongside the Sinaloa Cartel. Cartel Jalisco New Generation also maintains a presence in Ciudad Juárez through an alliance with La Línea.
At the start of the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of State designated six Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations, though La Linea was not included. As Breitbart Texas reported, relatives of U.S. children killed in cartel violence have urged federal officials to add La Linea and affiliated cells to that list.
Law enforcement officials along the border report that cartel drones frequently operate at night and at altitudes designed to evade detection while maintaining visibility over agents on the ground. Repeated flights allow criminal organizations to map patrol routines, response times and blind spots.
Despite the scale of activity, federal agencies face legal and operational constraints in countering unmanned systems. Federal Aviation Administration regulations limit where counter-UAS technology may be deployed, while overlapping jurisdiction between DHS, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice complicates rapid response coordination.
With DHS citing 60,000 cartel drone launches in a six-month period and CBP confirming 42,000 near-border detections in FY25, officials say unmanned surveillance has become a persistent feature of cartel operations along the southern border.
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