Secret Drone Flights Over Mexico Increase: They Are Searching for Drug Labs

Mexico City, February 18, 2025. The government of President Donald Trump has increased covert drone flights in Mexican territory with the aim of locating fentanyl laboratories.

According to a report by the New York Times, this strategy is part of the fight against drug trafficking and the control of drug flow into the United States.

U.S. intensifies intelligence operations

The American newspaper, citing official sources, revealed that the covert drone program began during Joe Biden's administration. However, its use has increased significantly since Trump resumed the presidency.

According to officials, the CIA is not authorized to carry out lethal actions nor does it plan to conduct attacks with these devices. Its mission is exclusively to gather intelligence information.

The drones have been key in detecting clandestine fentanyl laboratories. These production centers emit chemical substances that allow their identification from the air.

Aerial surveillance and diplomatic tensions

In recent weeks, these reconnaissance flights have caused concern in the Mexican government. The discomfort of Claudia Sheinbaum's administration is due to this monitoring coinciding with Trump's recent threats to impose tariffs on Mexico if it doesn't take stronger measures against drug trafficking.

United States defends its strategy

The U.S. Army's Northern Command has assured that these operations do not violate Mexican airspace. More than two dozen flights have been conducted with specialized aircraft like the U-2 and surveillance drones.

Historically, the Pentagon conducted just one surveillance mission per month at the border. Its main focus was the monitoring of foreign threats, such as military activities by Russia and China.

This shift in security strategy demonstrates that the United States now prioritizes the fentanyl crisis, reallocating defense resources to the border with Mexico.

Sheinbaum evades the drone issue

Following the release of the report on drone surveillance, President Claudia Sheinbaum avoided commenting on the matter.

During her morning conference, journalists directly questioned her about the presence of CIA drones in Mexican airspace.

When asked: "And what about the CIA drones flying over the airspace?", Sheinbaum replied evasively: "Well, that's also part of this little campaign".

Faced with reporters' insistence, she chose to ignore the issue, leaving questions about sovereignty and security strategy unanswered.