By: Rejoice Henrietta Otoo Arthur
The United States has increased secret drone flights over Mexico to find illegal fentanyl labs. This programme started during President Biden’s time in office but has expanded under President Trump. The goal is to gather information on drug cartels and share it with the Mexican government.
The CIA operates these drones, but they are not authorized to attack targets. Instead, they help locate drug labs by detecting chemicals in the air. The information is then given to Mexican officials so they can take action.
The Mexican government has already deployed thousands of troops to fight drug smuggling. However, the U.S. wants them to do more to destroy fentanyl labs. In the past, Mexico has been slow to act on American intelligence, but they have used the information to make arrests.
Some Mexican leaders are unhappy with the increased U.S. surveillance, as Mexico has a history of resisting foreign intervention. The Mexican president has stated that the country’s sovereignty must be respected.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military has also stepped up its surveillance near the border. Military aircraft, including drones and spy planes, have flown dozens of missions to gather intelligence. The Pentagon has formed a team of analysts to study the data and support efforts to fight drug cartels.
President Trump recently signed an order targeting major cartels and plans to label some of them as terrorist organizations. This could allow stronger U.S. actions against them, but experts say it won’t change much since these groups are already heavily sanctioned.
There is also growing cooperation between the U.S. and Mexican militaries, including joint training exercises. While the CIA’s goal is to locate and disable drug labs, officials have not ruled out stronger actions in the future. Some U.S. leaders have even hinted that cross-border military operations could be considered if Mexico does not do enough to combat the drug trade.
For now, the U.S. continues its intelligence gathering while monitoring Mexico’s response.
