Recent reports from CNN, citing insider sources, reveal that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been utilizing MQ-9 “Reaper” drones to fly over Mexico to monitor drug trafficking groups.
Previously, the Trump administration had considered transnational drug trafficking groups as terrorist organizations, but had not officially made that designation. The MQ-9 drones currently being used for missions are reportedly not armed. These drones are commonly employed by the United States to deliver precision strikes against terrorist suspects in Syria, Iraq, and Somalia.
According to current and former officials familiar with the matter, the CIA had previously used drones within Mexico to track drug traffickers, at least in a minor operation in collaboration with Mexican authorities.
It’s been reported that recent drone flight plans have been briefed to Congress and are part of new or updated covert operations. However, details in the briefings did not mention any cooperation with Mexican partners.
The CIA declined to provide specific comments on the drone missions, but a spokesperson stated, “Countering drug trafficking groups in Mexico and other areas is a top priority for the CIA and is one of the wider actions taken by the Trump administration to combat the serious threat of drug trafficking.” CIA Director John Ratcliffe has ordered the full utilization of the agency’s expertise to address this complex challenge.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and other senior Mexican officials have stated that these reconnaissance drone flights take place in international airspace and over U.S. territory.
Under longstanding bilateral agreements, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement agencies collaborate with the Mexican government to conduct regular flights over Mexican airspace.
While the CIA has not publicly acknowledged its drone program, some sources have reported hearing the sound of the “Reaper” drones from the ground. The CIA’s drone flights, along with the drafting of a list of drug trafficking groups, underscore the Trump administration’s efforts to shift a broad range of counterterrorism powers and resources to border security and counterterrorism efforts within Mexico.
During his first presidential term, Trump had publicly considered deploying military force against drug trafficking groups.