US Struggles to Counter Rising Drone Threats from Cartels and Foreign Actors
The United States is increasingly grappling with massive drone incursions, particularly along the southern border and near sensitive military sites. In 2025, authorities tracked 34,000 drones at the border, a significant rise from the previous year. While some sightings in states like New Jersey were attributed to misidentifications, unauthorized flights over strategic locations such as Picatinny Arsenal and Fort McNair indicate serious security breaches. Mexican cartels, specifically the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, are leveraging advanced drone technology for surveillance, smuggling, and potential strikes. These groups adapt commercial Chinese drones and employ tactics learned from the Ukraine conflict, including fiber-optic tethered systems to evade jamming. Furthermore, collaborations with Hezbollah provide cartels with global trafficking routes and funding, raising concerns about coordinated kinetic operations against US infrastructure and officials. Although the US has deployed counter-drone systems like Project Golden Shield, experts warn that current responses are insufficient against evolving threats, including potential swarm attacks and suicide drones targeting high-value assets and political figures.
Wire timeline
US Struggles to Counter Rising Drone Threats from Cartels and Foreign Actors
The United States is increasingly grappling with massive drone incursions, particularly along the southern border and near sensitive military sites. In 2025, authorities tracked 34,000 drones at the border, a significant rise from the previous year. While some sightings in states like New Jersey were attributed to misidentifications, unauthorized flights over strategic locations such as Picatinny Arsenal and Fort McNair indicate serious security breaches. Mexican cartels, specifically the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation Cartels, are leveraging advanced drone technology for surveillance, smuggling, and potential strikes. These groups adapt commercial Chinese drones and employ tactics learned from the Ukraine conflict, including fiber-optic tethered systems to evade jamming. Furthermore, collaborations with Hezbollah provide cartels with global trafficking routes and funding, raising concerns about coordinated kinetic operations against US infrastructure and officials. Although the US has deployed counter-drone systems like Project Golden Shield, experts warn that current responses are insufficient against evolving threats, including potential swarm attacks and suicide drones targeting high-value assets and political figures.
Asia Times