Drone Activity Linked to Cartel Operations Raises Security Concerns

Recent activities involving cartels have seen drones flying from Mexico into U.S. airspace, prompting national security alerts and leading to temporary airspace closures around El Paso, Texas, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico.

Reports indicate that the Army has neutralized one of these drones, but there are still questions about its size and purpose. It remains uncertain whether these drones were transporting drugs, conducting surveillance, or perhaps even carrying explosives, a tactic that has become more common in Mexico.

El Paso is just north of Ciudad Juárez, in Chihuahua, where numerous criminal organizations operate. Most of these groups are under the influence of La Linea, which started as a faction of the Juárez cartel and has since become a leading criminal entity on the Mexican side of the border.

La Linea’s roots trace back to 2008; it serves as the enforcement arm of the Juárez Cartel. The group has a strong core of former and current police officers who facilitate its efforts against rivals. Historically, La Linea was notably involved in the struggles against the Sinaloa cartel when Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán was vying for dominance in the busy drug-trafficking routes.

The conflict between the Juárez and Sinaloa cartels persisted for four years, which earned Ciudad Juárez the grim title of “murder capital of the world.” It wasn’t until the Sinaloa cartel seized control that violence began to subside. Although the Juárez Cartel weakened, La Linea continued to operate as a network of cells, regaining power over time. Currently, both La Linea and the Sinaloa cartel maintain active trafficking routes into Texas and New Mexico. Another group, the Cartel Jalisco New Generation, also has a presence in Ciudad Juárez, primarily operating in alliance with La Linea.

Despite the arrests and killings of various La Linea leaders over the years, figures like Jesús “El Tuín” Salas Aguayo, Juan Pablo “JL” Ledesma, and others remain active. The organization is characterized by its various cells, some of which, like La Empresa and Los Limones, have a history of infighting that keeps the region rife with violence.

Under the Trump administration, the U.S. State Department labeled six Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, though La Linea was not included in that designation. There have been renewed calls to reevaluate this decision. La Linea has been linked to several high-profile violent incidents, including the tragic mass killing of nine American women and children from the LeBaron family in 2019. This attack occurred as they were traveling from Chihuahua to the U.S. border, raising further concerns about the group’s activities.