Mysterious mission of the US MQ-9 drone in Mexican skies

Photo of Sergey Koznov in Unsplash

A U.S. MQ-9B Guardian drone, operated by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), carried out an unusual operation over Mexican territory, specifically in a wooded area between Valle de Bravo and Tejupilco, according to Mexico's Secretary of Citizen Security, Omar García Harfuch, who stated that the mission was carried out at the express request of the Mexican government.

The drone took off from San Angelo, Texas, and flew approximately 800 miles south, penetrating some 600 kilometers into Mexican airspace, before being lost from online tracking after about six hours of operation. Although this type of aircraft is commonly used for surveillance, reconnaissance, and military support, Harfuch emphasized that this time it was a military operation, without offering further details about the mission's objectives.

Independent analysts have indicated that the area of operations coincides with territories linked to the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel, which is linked to fentanyl trafficking and subject to U.S. sanctions. This suggests the drone is being used to gather intelligence on high-value targets within the cartel.

Controversy and international cooperation

The incident comes amid heightened bilateral security cooperation, in parallel with more aggressive U.S. legal actions and policies against cartels, such as President Donald Trump's executive order authorizing the government to combat these organizations abroad.

For her part, in previous statements, President Claudia Sheinbaum downplayed similar reports about drones operating in Mexico, calling them part of a “small campaign,” although she later stated that these flights are part of a long-standing and completely legal cooperation with the U.S. to combat organized crime from airspace.

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Sources:

• THE COUNTRY Mexico