The CIA, under President Donald Trump's administration, has been secretly operating MQ-9 Reaper drones over Mexico to monitor drug cartels, according to current and former officials familiar with the matter. This covert strategy is part of Trump's broader national security shift, focusing on the US southern border and combating transnational cartels.
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These surveillance missions, which have not been previously reported, come as the Trump administration moves toward designating major cartels as terrorist organizations—though such a declaration has not yet been made.
While the MQ-9 drones currently fly unarmed, they are capable of carrying precision strike payloads, similar to how the US has used them in operations targeting terrorist groups in the Middle East and Africa.
Some officials suggest that labeling cartels as terrorist entities could pave the way for US military strikes against cartels and their drug labs inside Mexico.
The CIA has previously conducted drone missions in collaboration with Mexican authorities, targeting cartels. However, these more recent flights were communicated to Congress using a covert notification, hinting at an escalation of operations. The Trump administration has avoided mentioning any cooperation with Mexican partners.
In response, the CIA declined to provide specific details on these drone missions but reaffirmed that countering Mexican drug cartels is a priority, with Director John Ratcliffe emphasizing the agency's commitment to leveraging its expertise against narco-trafficking.
These revelations come amidst rising tensions between the US and Mexico, especially over the increasing presence of American military spy planes near Mexico's borders.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and senior officials have stressed the importance of sovereignty, while noting that the spy plane flights occurred in international airspace and did not violate Mexico’s airspace.
However, the CIA’s MQ-9 drone operations are conducted within Mexican airspace, raising concerns in Mexico's government, which has yet to comment on the situation.
Shift in Counter-Terrorism Focus
The CIA's drone missions align with the Trump administration's broader shift in counterterrorism resources toward combating cartels along the US-Mexico border and inside Mexico. Plans for this transition were outlined in a 30-page "2025 Agency Action Plan" before Trump took office, directing intelligence agencies to reallocate counterterrorism assets to counter-cartel operations.
Trump has previously discussed military action against cartels, even suggesting that the US may need to "wage war" on these powerful organizations. National security advisor Mike Waltz has also advocated for offensive operations against Mexican cartels.
The US State Department has drafted a list of cartels, including the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, MS-13, and others, which may soon be designated as foreign terrorist organizations.
Although cartels share some operational traits with extremist groups, analysts note that cartels are primarily commercial organizations rather than ideological ones. They do not seek to govern populations or seize territory. Moreover, cartels maintain complex ties to certain elements within the Mexican government, which complicates US military operations.
This escalating focus on cartels underscores the Trump administration's aggressive stance on combating the drug trade, shifting national security priorities to address the growing threat of transnational narcotics trafficking.