7:25 am - March 10, 2025
The United States military has significantly intensified its surveillance of Mexican drug cartels over the past two weeks, marking a notable escalation in efforts to combat drug trafficking and border security. Recent reports indicate that sophisticated spy planes have conducted at least 18 missions over the southwestern United States and in international airspace around the Baja Peninsula. These operations, which took place over a 10-day period in late January and early February, reflect a dramatic shift in military activity under President Donald Trump’s directive to secure the border and deter cartel operations. This surge in surveillance activity highlights a broader strategic realignment, as the U.S. military redirects resources traditionally focused on overseas threats to address challenges along the southern border.
The flights involved some of the most advanced aircraft in the U.S. military’s arsenal, including Navy P-8 Poseidons and a Cold War-era U-2 spy plane. At least 11 of the missions were carried out by P-8s, which are primarily designed for submarine detection but also possess capabilities for collecting imagery and signals intelligence. Notably, a U-2 aircraft conducted a nearly six-hour mission on February 3, marking what current and former military officials describe as an unprecedented use of this high-altitude reconnaissance plane for counternarcotics operations. The flight paths of these aircraft spanned the U.S.-Mexico border, with missions conducted in California, Arizona, and Texas. One particularly extensive mission looped around the Baja Peninsula and passed near Sinaloa on February 4, involving an Air Force RC-135 “Rivet,” a plane specialized in intercepting ground communications. While the Baja Peninsula route has been used for surveillance in the past, its increased frequency underscores the heightened focus on cartel activities.
The intensified surveillance efforts coincide with President Trump’s broader strategy to involve the military more directly in border security and counternarcotics operations, traditionally domains of domestic law enforcement agencies. The Pentagon has historically allocated limited resources to border surveillance, with only about one mission per month in the region. Instead, these advanced aircraft have been primarily deployed to address other global security priorities, such as monitoring Russian activities in Ukraine or detecting submarines operated by Russian or Chinese fleets. The recent shift in focus reflects the administration’s determination to leverage the military’s capabilities to combat drug trafficking, despite concerns about the potential escalation of conflict and the complexities of cross-border collaboration.
Analysts and officials are closely watching how the Trump administration plans to use the intelligence gathered from these surveillance missions. The data could potentially be employed to build cases for designating cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, a move the president has already initiated. Such a designation could pave the way for more direct U.S. military action against cartel operations, though this raises significant concerns about violating Mexico’s sovereignty and straining bilateral relations. Some officials have also expressed fears that the intelligence could be used to identify targets for U.S. military strikes, a prospect that has drawn criticism due to the potential for diplomatic fallout and unintended consequences.
Despite the increased military presence, the role of U.S. troops along the border remains limited to supportive functions, such as assisting Border Patrol and providing intelligence expertise. Thousands of additional active-duty troops have been deployed to the region, though they are not authorized to perform law enforcement duties, such as making arrests or seizing drugs. The focus on surveillance and intelligence reflects a strategic shift toward using military resources to bolster border security efforts, though the long-term implications of this approach remain uncertain.
The decision to escalate military involvement in counternarcotics operations has sparked a debate about the effectiveness of treating drug cartels as a national security threat akin to foreign terrorist organizations. While the cartels’ operations share some similarities with terrorist groups, such as their use of violence and complex organizational structures, they differ fundamentally in their motivations and goals. Cartels are primarily commercial enterprises driven by profit, rather than ideological or territorial ambitions. This distinction raises questions about the appropriateness of applying military counterterrorism strategies to what has long been considered a law enforcement challenge. Experts caution that the deep-rooted ties between some cartels and elements of the Mexican government further complicate efforts to address the issue through direct military action. As the U.S. military expands its role in border security, the balance between effectiveness and diplomacy will remain a critical consideration.