Explosive Cartel Drones Expected to be Used Against U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Recent intelligence indicates that Mexican drug cartels, including the Gulf Cartel, have authorized the use of weaponized drones against U.S. law enforcement personnel along the southern border. According to a report by NewsNation, cartels have escalated threats by planning to deploy drones equipped with explosives targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and US military forces at the border.

This development has prompted U.S. Customs and Border Protection to issue warnings to its agents, advising heightened vigilance and the use of protective gear.

From Tessaron News

The utilization of drones by cartels is not unprecedented. In 2023, the Mexican army reported over 260 drone attacks by drug cartels, primarily involving devices modified to drop explosives. While these attacks have predominantly occurred within Mexico, the authorization to target U.S. personnel marks a significant escalation. The U.S. Northern Command has also noted a substantial number of unmanned aircraft system incursions along the U.S.-Mexico border, exceeding 1,000 per month, underscoring the growing sophistication and boldness of cartel operations.

As of early 2025, the U.S. Department of Defense has deployed approximately 1,500 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to support border security operations. These forces primarily consist of Army military police units tasked with enhancing surveillance and deterring illegal crossings. Additionally, around 500 Marine engineers have been assigned to repair and reinforce physical barriers along the border.

The Gulf Cartel, a prominent criminal organization in northeastern Mexico, exerts significant influence over key border cities such as Matamoros and Reynosa in the state of Tamaulipas. These cities are directly across the border from Brownsville and McAllen, Texas, respectively.

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News Nation Reports

One of the communications references three different social media posts that included threats.

One post encourages people to assassinate ICE police, while a TikTok video tells immigrants illegally in the U.S. to spit and urinate on ICE agents’ food and defecate in their vehicles. Another post calls for the murder of local ICE agents.

A second memo warns that cartels have authorized the use of drone explosives against CBP personnel and U.S. law enforcement officers.

Border czar Tom Homan told NewsNation this week that leaked information about targeted operations has forced authorities to pivot to keep officers and agents safe.

“We’ve got many target cities, but I’m not going to share them with you because we got to keep our officers safe,” Homan said.

“Matter of fact, Chicago, that operation was leaked, so we had to reschedule that one. But we need an element of surprise because of officer safety issues. We don’t want the bad guy to know we’re coming,” he added.

Agents are reminded to be cognizant of their surroundings and should be wearing their ballistic armor and utilizing their long firearms.

Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told NewsNation that weaponized drones have become more common in warfare, so it’s not surprising cartels may be poised to use them at the U.S. border.

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Rep. Glenn Ivey, a member of the Homeland Security Committee, says weaponized drones have become more common in warfare, so it’s not surprising cartels may be poised to use them at the U.S. border. The Democratic congressman from Maryland joins “The Hill.”

 

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