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Thursday, 22 October 2026dailybeirut.com
World
The U.S. military reported downing more than 300 drones launched by drug cartels along the Mexico border since the start of 2026, with 100 shot down in August alone.
The United States announced on Friday that it had shot down more than 300 unmanned aerial vehicles launched by drug trafficking organizations along the U.S.-Mexico border since the beginning of 2026.
U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM), the military command responsible for the continental United States and neighboring countries, linked the drones to narcotics trafficking operations but did not identify any specific cartel.
NORTHCOM stated on the platform X that it intercepted 100 drones during August alone, without specifying whether those incidents occurred on the U.S. or Mexican side of the border.
According to the U.S. military, the drones were employed by criminal organizations “to support illegal cross-border activities, including smuggling operations and surveillance of law enforcement personnel and soldiers.”
Mexican Defense Secretary Ricardo Treviño claimed the drones were used primarily by human smugglers to locate areas along the border “devoid of any authority presence.”
The drones have also been weaponized in attacks between rival cartels and against government institutions. In October of last year, a drone laden with explosives targeted the office of the Attorney General in Tijuana, Mexico — a city adjacent to the U.S. border.
The explosion caused material damage but resulted in no human casualties.
