US Drone Surveillance Leads to Arrests of Cartel Leaders in Mexico
By The Blog Source
Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum stated on Wednesday that the United States is conducting surveillance drone flights over Mexico in coordination with and at the request of her government. These developments follow heightened pressure on Mexico by the Trump administration to halt the manufacture of the synthetic opioid fentanyl and its smuggling into the United States.
To encourage Mexico to crack down on its drug cartels, Trump threatened and then delayed 25% tariffs on Mexican goods earlier this month. On his first day in office, Trump also directed the designation of several criminal cartels in Mexico as foreign terrorist organizations. We should expect those designations soon.
At least two cartel commanders have been arrested as a result of U.S. intelligence-gathering drone flights, Mexico's Secretary of Defense, Gen. Ricardo Trevilla, informed reporters Tuesday morning. Mexico said last week that it was collaborating with the U.S. government to carry out aerial surveillance on organized crime and cartels, according to the Border Report. "This intelligence work led to the apprehensions that were made in Culiacán," Trevilla stated.
Despite a leadership dispute and the ensuing violence, the Sinaloa cartel, which has its regional base in Culiacán, continues to be a significant producer and exporter of drugs like fentanyl. According to Trevilla, "the aircraft help confirm information gathered by Mexican armed forces." Trevilla asserted that American forces did not participate in the arrests, yet he refused to reveal the identities of the cartel members apprehended.
The arrests of Kevin Alonso, the suspected chief of security for Iván Archivaldo Guzmán, also known as "El Chapito," and "Wero Bryan," the alleged leader of the Chapitos, were recently announced by Omar García Harfuch, Mexico's head of public safety and security. Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the former leader of the Sinaloa cartel, is the father of the Chapitos.
"This is not the beginning of spying operations using unmanned drones," Trevilla said. He claimed, "Donald Trump did not order these to watch Mexican cartels." CNN and the New York Times revealed last week that the CIA was searching Mexico for fentanyl labs using MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The U.S. Air Force describes the drones as having a range of more than 1,100 miles (ca. 1,770 km) and the ability to perform air strikes, but the aircraft are not armed with weapons during surveillance operations. Trevilla also informed reporters that the Mexican military will always request and authorize the use of these kinds of assistance flights. “It will be clear what route they’ll take and what information they are after,” Trevilla said.
Alejandro Gertz Manero, the attorney general of Mexico, also supported the partnership with the United States.
Gertz Manero stated, "We must obtain information; we are assisting one another, and we are aware that we are receiving intelligence; it is not spying, but rather technical and vital information."
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