by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Donald Trump is intensifying CIA drone surveillance over Mexico to target violent drug cartels, according to U.S. officials in a report by The New York Times.
This expansion, part of a covert program initiated under Joe Biden, aims to dismantle fentanyl labs by extending drone flights deep into Mexican territory.
Officials stated that drones operating deep within Mexico have effectively identified fentanyl labs by detecting airborne chemicals released from these operations.
According to The Washington Post, the CIA, under Director John Ratcliffe and President Donald Trump, may enhance its role in combating Mexican drug cartels, which are notorious for trafficking drugs and humans across the U.S. southern border.
Sources indicate that Ratcliffe plans to redirect agency resources toward counternarcotics efforts, applying strategies from counterterrorism to disrupt these violent criminal networks.
“Countering drug cartels in Mexico and regionally is a priority for CIA as part of the Trump administration’s broader efforts to end the grave threat from narco-trafficking,” a CIA spokesperson told The Washington Post in a statement.
The efforts represent a significant escalation in U.S. actions against drug-related activities, marking a continuation of aggressive policies to combat cartel operations.
The officials noted that while the CIA’s drones are not authorized for lethal strikes, they are employed to collect intelligence on drug smuggling operations, which is then shared with Mexican authorities.
This increase in drone surveillance is part of Trump’s campaign pledge to aggressively target cartels responsible for trafficking fentanyl into the U.S., thereby fulfilling his promise to “wage war on the cartels.”
In the first week of his second term, Trump signed an executive order labeling cartels as foreign terrorist threats, enhancing his administration’s ability to combat these criminal organizations.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has stated that he and President Trump are considering all options, including military force, to address the threat posed by groups designated as foreign terrorist organizations targeting Americans at the border.
Copyright 1999-2025 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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