Drug cartels are reportedly flying surveillance drones along the US-Mexico border to monitor Border Patrol officers and identify potential openings for smuggling people into the United States. Law enforcement officials say criminal groups are using commercially available aircraft to track patrol movements and adapt their operations.
A FOX San Antonio investigation published on 13 October 2026 highlighted the growing use of drones and surveillance cameras by criminal organisations near Laredo, Texas. Officials in Webb County described how such technology allows smugglers to gather information about law enforcement activity without relying entirely on observers on the ground.
The surveillance could help criminal groups identify less heavily monitored routes or changes in patrol activity. However, publicly available evidence does not establish how many successful border crossings, if any, resulted directly from intelligence gathered by cartel-operated drones.
Cartels Are Using Drones to Watch Border Patrol Officers
Timothy Tubbs, chief deputy of the Webb County Sheriff's Office and a former Homeland Security Investigations investigator, told FOX San Antonio that drones are regularly seen flying around Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, directly across the border from Laredo.
Tubbs described daily drone activity on the Mexican side of the border. He said criminal organisations use the aircraft for surveillance and counter-surveillance, alongside cameras and other equipment that helps them monitor US law enforcement movements.
The information can help smugglers respond to changes in patrol activity and adjust their operations. Rather than relying solely on observers positioned near crossing areas, criminal groups can gather intelligence from the air while keeping personnel farther from officers.
Tubbs warned that these tactics create additional challenges for agencies attempting to intercept narcotics, human smugglers and other criminal activity. However, the number of drones directly operated by cartels remains difficult to establish from publicly available evidence.
US Military Detects 378 Drone Incursions in 30 Days
The concern extends beyond Webb County. According to a Reuters report published on 5 October, the US military detected 378 drone incursions along the southern border during the preceding 30 days.
Brigadier General Brian Filler, deputy commander for operations at Joint Task Force Southern Border, said the aircraft were largely commercially available drones fitted with surveillance cameras. Military officials said criminals use such equipment for surveillance linked to smuggling and human trafficking operations.
Filler said the drones were often observed alongside movements across the border. However, the 378 reported incursions do not represent 378 confirmed cartel missions or successful smuggling attempts.
The military described an increasing trend, although the available figures do not establish how much of the rise reflects increased drone activity rather than changes in detection capability.
The problem predates the latest reports. According to US congressional testimony, more than 27,000 drones were detected within 500 metres of the southern border during the final six months of 2024. Those detections do not prove that every aircraft belonged to a cartel or entered US airspace.
Texas Police Deploy Their Own Surveillance Drones
Law enforcement agencies are also expanding aerial surveillance to monitor border activity. Webb County Sheriff Martin Cuellar showed FOX San Antonio the department's Border Security Operations Center in Laredo, where personnel use cameras, sensors, drones, radio communications and live video feeds to coordinate operations.
The facility shares information with US Border Patrol, the Texas Department of Public Safety and Laredo police. Cuellar said its surveillance technology allows personnel to observe activity up to 30 miles away, helping deputies assess potentially dangerous situations before approaching them.
During the broadcaster's visit, Cuellar demonstrated footage from a narcotics operation in which a drone monitored a property as deputies approached. The technology allows supervisors to observe activity and relay information to officers on the ground.
However, maintaining such capabilities comes at a cost. Cuellar estimated that each of the department's border surveillance drones costs approximately $30,000 (£22,000). He said continued investment in surveillance and communications technology was necessary as criminal organisations adapted their operations.
US Military Uses Laser Weapons Against Cartel-Linked Drones
The US military is also testing advanced counter-drone technology. During the Falcon Peak 26.2 exercise at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona, defence companies demonstrated radar systems, interceptor drones and automated weapons designed to detect and disable small aircraft.
Some counter-drone systems are already being used operationally. In a 4 September announcement, US Northern Command said American forces had defeated 11 drones assessed as cartel-linked using the Army Multipurpose High-Energy Laser system since it was first employed in border protection operations on 24 August.
The command also reported defeating more than 300 unmanned aircraft using kinetic and non-kinetic counter-drone systems during 2026 as of 4 September. Those figures reflect military assessments and do not establish that every aircraft was involved in human smuggling.
For Border Patrol officers, the concern extends beyond drones carrying drugs or weapons. Even a commercially available aircraft fitted with a camera can provide information about patrol movements that smugglers could use to adjust their routes.
As criminal groups and authorities expand their surveillance capabilities, preventing that intelligence from supporting smuggling operations remains a growing border-security challenge.
