Flight restrictions at southwest border as cartel drone incursions continue
As Mexican cartel drone incursions continue at the southwest border, federal agencies have implemented a temporary flight restriction (TFR) for all drone operators in the region.
The departments of Transportation, War and Homeland Security implemented a TFR to coordinate efforts to strengthen airspace security, reduce risks to ongoing border security operations, protect federal personnel and facilities and enhance enforcement against violators, the agencies said.
The TFR, now in effect, bars any unauthorized drone activity up to 400 feet above ground level and extends one nautical mile north of the U.S.-Mexico border.
“The United States government will maintain 100% operational control of our border: land, air, and sea,” Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said. “For too long, cartels have taken advantage of gaps along our southern border. Thanks to President Donald J. Trump, those days are over. By restricting unauthorized drone activity, we are giving commanders greater awareness, greater decision space, and more options to defend the Homeland. Equipped with cutting-edge technology — including Directed Energy Weapons — our warfighters will shoot down any cartel drone that threatens America’s sovereignty.”
The TFR became effective over the weekend, with the FAA still posting NOTAMs (Notice to Airmen) on Monday. The restriction remains in effect for one year.
NOTAMs are notices the FAA files to alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along flight routes, and in this case, at the southwest border that would affect flights.
One NOTAM filed on Monday for the El Paso International Airport and its surrounding region states that drone usage is restricted to “an area defined as 0.5 nautical miles radius of 31°49’14″N 106°21’26″W (1.4 nautical miles northeast of ELP) surface to 150 ft above ground level,” CWSI explains.
Other NOTAMs issued for El Paso earlier this month restrict drone usage between 1.5 nautical miles and 9.8 nautical miles in varying directions with specific coordinates from the surface to 400 feet above ground level, according to FAA NOTAM data.
The TFR was issued after Mexican cartel drone use at the southwest border has been a problem for years.
During the Biden administration, in 2022 and 2023, there were more than 10,000 drone incursions flown by Mexican cartels operating in Mexico and in the Rio Grande Valley of south Texas alone, The Center Square reported. The cartels are using the drones to identify where state and federal law enforcement officers are located to avoid or target them to engage in criminal activity, Border Patrol agents have found.
More recently, cartel drone usage in El Paso has become so bad that local law enforcement called on the state legislature for help. El Paso Police Department Sgt. Cory Balke recently testified at a state Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Border Security hearing that cartel drone threats are organized and dangerous, The Center Square reported.
“Primarily where we’re seeing [increased drone activity] in Ciudad Juarez, is very organized,” he said, referring to the Mexican city located directly across the Rio Grande River from El Paso. “The threat is very high, and they are very capable.”
State Sen. Phil King, R-Weatherford, who chairs the committee, said, “Criminal organizations and hostile actors are using drones to conduct surveillance, transport contraband, and threaten critical infrastructure and public safety” and the legislature is taking action to address it.
Fast forward to nearly two months later and cartels in Mexico fired on U.S. Coast Guard crew in the Rio Grande Valley. The Trump administration deployed hundreds of National Guard troops to the region, including the latest deployment of two groups from New York to south Texas, The Center Square reported.
Not soon after their deployment, and two months after the Texas legislative hearing, the TFR drone restriction was implemented.
The FAA has instructed drone operators to review all applicable NOTAMs and regulations to ensure compliance. Failure to comply can result in fines of up to $75,000 and license revocation.
The FBI is arresting drone violators and the DOJ is prosecuting them, including illegal foreign nationals, The Center Square reported.
The TFR was put in place as part of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to secure the southwest border. After millions of people illegally entered during the Biden administration, an historic reversal was achieved this past year.
Illegal border crossings at the southwest border reached their lowest level in U.S. history over the past fiscal year, with apprehensions dropping by 95 percent, The Center Square reported.
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