Secret U.S. Drone Program Helped Capture Mexican Cartel Bosses

[https://www.newsweek.com/secret-us-drones-led-arrest-notorious-mexican-cartel-boss-el-chapo-2037891](https://www.newsweek.com/secret-us-drones-led-arrest-notorious-mexican-cartel-boss-el-chapo-2037891)

[https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-cia-drone-mexico-el-chapo-b2706887.html](https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-cia-drone-mexico-el-chapo-b2706887.html)

[https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/mexico-cartel-us-drone-boss-capture-a0c8e429](https://www.wsj.com/world/americas/mexico-cartel-us-drone-boss-capture-a0c8e429)

Secret U.S. Drone Program Helped Capture Mexican Cartel Bosses

Intelligence provided by unarmed drones was essential to arrests of Joaquín ‘El Chapo’ Guzmán, one of his sons and other top drug smugglers

By Steve Fisher in Mexico City and

Vera Bergengruen

in Washington

Feb. 28, 2025 5

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection MQ-9 Reaper drone at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., near the U.S.-Mexico border, in 2022.

A U.S. Customs and Border Protection MQ-9 Reaper drone at Fort Huachuca, Ariz., near the U.S.-Mexico border, in 2022. Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

The U.S. has secretly flown unarmed drones from Mexican airfields to spy on drug cartels, leading to the arrests of kingpin Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán, one of his sons and other drug lords, U.S. and Mexican officials said.

The flights, operated by the Department of Homeland Security and the Central Intelligence Agency at the Mexican military’s request, have also provided vital information for large drug seizures, the officials said. Using cameras that can capture a license plate from 20,000 feet above, the drones feed surveillance video on cartel smuggling operations, and map out clandestine labs, to authorities on both sides of the border, the officials said.

[https://www.kxan.com/border-report/mexicos-top-general-admits-us-drone-surveillance-flights-led-to-cartel-arrests/](https://www.kxan.com/border-report/mexicos-top-general-admits-us-drone-surveillance-flights-led-to-cartel-arrests/)

[https://regtechtimes.com/el-chapos-arrest-and-the-hidden-us-drone-program/](https://regtechtimes.com/el-chapos-arrest-and-the-hidden-us-drone-program/)

[https://www.latintimes.com/us-drones-are-playing-key-role-finding-cartel-leaders-mexico-joint-offensive-continues-577130](https://www.latintimes.com/us-drones-are-playing-key-role-finding-cartel-leaders-mexico-joint-offensive-continues-577130)

[https://www.latintimes.com/drone-surveillance-missions-along-us-mexico-border-could-sign-future-strikes-dea-agent-says-577186](https://www.latintimes.com/drone-surveillance-missions-along-us-mexico-border-could-sign-future-strikes-dea-agent-says-577186)

[https://www.latintimes.com/us-citizen-ties-sinaloa-cartel-arrested-tijuana-after-attempting-smuggle-vast-arsenal-577084](https://www.latintimes.com/us-citizen-ties-sinaloa-cartel-arrested-tijuana-after-attempting-smuggle-vast-arsenal-577084)