Mexico’s Defence Secretary Ricardo Trevilla Trejo has expressed serious concern over the increasing use of drones by drug cartels, warning that the technology poses a growing security threat across the country.
Speaking on Tuesday, Trejo’s remarks followed reports that Mexican cartel members had travelled to Ukraine to fight as mercenaries and gain experience in drone warfare.
He said Mexico had been acquiring fixed and mobile anti-drone systems since last year to counter the threat. These systems have also been deployed along the country’s borders, while Mexican authorities continue security operations in coordination with the United States.
On October 4 and 11, the Mexican military reported confiscating 15 fibre-optic drones in Sinaloa, northwestern Mexico. Such technology has been widely used in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Sinaloa remains a major centre of cartel violence following a split within the Sinaloa Cartel, which led to clashes between rival factions competing for territorial control.
Trejo said authorities had not yet determined which criminal organisations were using the drones. He added that the threat was not limited to Mexico’s northern regions.
In August, residents of Los Bayados, a small community in Guerrero state, were forced to leave their homes following drone attacks attributed to criminal groups.
According to Trejo, criminal organisations frequently modify commercially available drones to launch attacks against rival groups and, in some cases, security forces. However, he noted that these devices were generally not highly sophisticated.
The growing use of modified drones has raised concerns among Mexican authorities, prompting increased investment in counter-drone technology and closer security cooperation with the United States.
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