The United States military has shot down more than 300 drones operated by drug cartels along its border with Mexico since the beginning of 2026, the US Northern Command said Friday.

The command, known as USNORTHCOM, said 100 of the drones were shot down in August alone, although it did not specify whether the interceptions took place on the US or Mexican side of the border.

USNORTHCOM, which oversees military operations in the United States and neighbouring countries, linked the drones to drug trafficking and other illegal cross-border activities but did not identify any specific cartel.

According to the command, the drones were being used by “transnational criminal organisations” to facilitate illegal activities, including smuggling and surveillance of law enforcement and military personnel.

The development comes amid heightened security concerns along the US-Mexico border, where authorities have increasingly focused on the use of unmanned aircraft by criminal networks.

Mexico’s Defence Secretary, Ricardo Trevilla, however, said the drones were primarily being used by migrant smugglers to identify sections of the border “where there is no authority present.”

But Mexican authorities have also reported the use of drones by cartels in attacks against rival criminal groups and security personnel.

In October last year, an explosive-laden drone was used to attack the prosecutor’s office in Tijuana, a Mexican city bordering the United States.

The attack caused damage to the building but no casualties were reported.

The use of drones by criminal organisations has added a new dimension to security challenges along the US-Mexico border, with the devices capable of providing surveillance and facilitating cross-border criminal operations.

AFP
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