More than 1,000 drones a month enter U.S. airspace near the Mexican border, the top commander told lawmakers Thursday.
The number of intrusions by unmanned drones is “alarming” and the potential threat to national security is “growing,” said Air Force Gen. Gregory Guyot, commander of the North American Defense Forces and U.S. Northern Command. He said this at a press conference. Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing.
In response to a question from Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.), Guyot said, “The number of break-ins was alarming to me as I took command last month.”
“I don’t know the actual number, and I don’t think anyone knows, but it’s probably in the thousands,” he added.
When asked by Budd about the period the general used to make the estimate, Guyot replied, “Probably more than 1,000 a month.”
A senior NORAD official said the number of intrusions is concerning, but that “we have not seen anything that presents itself as a threat to the national defense level.”
“But I see it as becoming more and more likely,” Guyot warned.
Mexican cartels are using drones to track the location of authorities along the U.S.-Mexico border to make it easier to smuggle people and drugs, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials say.
Rio Grande Valley District Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez told the House Oversight Committee. In February 2023, she found that in her Texas district alone, more than 10,000 drone intrusions and 25,000 drone sightings were reported last year.
“Our adversaries have 17 times more drones, twice the flight time, and unlimited funds to expand their operations,” Chavez told lawmakers.
In January 2023, authorities Found drone footage Several Border Patrol agents were allegedly shot and killed by human smugglers during a raid on what was believed to be a hideout for migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border illegally.
“Along the border, we are observing an increasing number of human smugglers using drones for Border Patrol surveillance,” San Diego District Patrol Chief Aaron M. Heitke said in a statement. “This technology provides new capabilities for transnational criminal organizations, which they hope to exploit.”
