Drone 'Arms Race' at Southern Border Escalates Stakes Between Local Law Enforcement And Cartels

Local law enforcement agencies along the U.S.-Mexico border are increasingly deploying artificial intelligence-powered drones to track drug traffickers and migrants, while Mexican cartels are flying their own drones into U.S. territory to monitor smuggling routes and law enforcement operations, as a new report by Axios has revealed.

The report focuses on the Cochise County Sheriff's Office in Arizona, which borders Mexico for 84 miles, and recently began a pilot program using Canadian-made Draganfly drones equipped with thermal imaging, GPS guidance, and AI systems for search-and-rescue, nighttime patrols, and detecting suspected cartel activity across 6,200 square miles.

Axios also points to Laredo, Texas, where police plan to deploy BRINC drones to monitor pursuits, assess potentially armed suspects, and deliver emergency medical supplies. In Sunland Park, New Mexico, drones are also being used to rescue stranded migrants and hikers and assist fire and police departments.

Draganfly CEO Cameron Chell told the outlet that the technology allows rural counties to "secure your border in a much more effective way than trying to rush a bunch of people around to spots where nobody's going to be anymore." Unlike consumer drones, law enforcement models can fly for hours, collect and analyze data, and recreate incidents quickly.

On the Mexican side, however, cartels have also invested in drone technology for surveillance and, in some cases, armed operations. A former operative for the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación recently told Infobae México the group modified agricultural drones to drop explosives on rival factions, carry heavy payloads over 100 kilometers, and remain airborne for up to five hours.

Steven Willoughby, deputy director of DHS's counter-drone program, told a U.S. Senate committee last month that cartel drones made more than 27,000 flights within 500 meters of the southern border during the last six months of 2024. "It's just a matter of time until Americans or law enforcement agents are targeted," said Willoughby, adding that cartel drones have been linked to more than 1,500 arrests along the southwest border.

Some factions, such as La Mayiza of the Sinaloa Cartel, have reportedly acquired military-grade drone-jamming equipment, while others have used explosive-armed drones to displace communities. Civil liberties advocates in the U.S. have urged caution on police drone adoption until clearer regulations are in place.