Do Drug Cartels Actually Use Drones at the Border?

New York Times - WorldCenter-LeftEN 4 min read 100% complete by Jack Nicas and Paulina VillegasFebruary 12, 2026 at 11:01 PM

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long article 4 min

Reports on the use of drones by Mexican cartels at the U.S.-Mexico border are conflicting. U.S. officials claim cartels use drones to smuggle drugs and surveil law enforcement, citing thousands of detected flights and seizures. For example, in July 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security reported detecting 60,000 drone flights near the border. However, Mexican officials downplay the threat, acknowledging drone use within Mexico but denying significant activity at the border. In July 2024, Mexico's President stated there was no information regarding new drones at the border. The actual extent of cartel drone activity at the border remains unclear.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Tijuana 30% Claudia Sheinbaum 40% El Paso 40% Steven Willoughby ×250% U.S. Department of Homeland Security 60% U.S.-Mexico Border ×375% Mexican Cartels ×580% Mexico ×1085% United States ×890%

Keywords

drones 100% u.s.-mexico border 90% drug cartels 90% border security 70% drone flights 60% smuggling 60% u.s. officials 60% mexican officials 50% law enforcement 50%

Sentiment Analysis

Neutral

Score: -0.10

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Source

New York Times - World

Political Lean

Center-Left (-0.30)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

United States

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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drones u.s.-mexico border drug cartels border security drone flights smuggling u.s. officials mexican officials law enforcement

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