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15. August 2025
Us Border Drone Makes Record-Breaking 600-Mile Foray Into Mexico
The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) MQ-9 Guardian drone’s recent flight 600 miles deep into Mexico has sparked significant interest and debate among experts, cartels watchers, and the general public. The unarmed drone, tracked as CBP-113 under callsign TROY701, took off from San Angelo, Texas, on August 13, 2025, and vanished off radars after orbiting west of Mexico City.
The drone’s flight path, which clocked over 800 miles total, plunged an astonishing 600 miles into Mexican airspace. According to FlightRadar24 data shared by sharp-eyed tracker @thenewarea51, the drone orbited in the southern state of Mexico, west of Mexico City—the prime turf for the notorious La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel.
About six hours into its flight, the drone seemingly disappeared from radar. CBP pilots know that drones like this are trackable with transponders on, so it’s puzzling that it went dark. Was this a staging loop before hitting sensitive spots? The lack of information surrounding the drone’s mission and purpose has sparked intense speculation among cartels watchers.
Mexico’s security chief, Omar García Harfuch, confirmed that the flight was at their request, but details remained scarce. Reaching out to CBP and the White House for clarification yielded little response. This isn’t your average border patrol; it’s deep ops, and the CBP-113 tag screams “customs enforcement,” not military strikes.
Cartel watchers are geeking out over this flight, particularly with regards to the orbit zone. The area of interest is heavy in LNFM presence, which was sanctioned by Biden in 2021 for flooding the U.S. with fentanyl, killing thousands yearly. Siblings Johnny “El Pez” Hurtado Olascoaga ($5M bounty) and Jose “El Fresa” Hurtada Olascoaga ($3M bounty) are top targets, suggesting that the drone was scouting high-value targets.
It’s essential to clear the air among drone enthusiasts: CBP-113 is a CBP MQ-9 Guardian, not a U.S. Air Force MQ-9 Reaper. While they’re cousins, the Reaper packs Hellfire missiles, but the Guardian focuses on surveillance. CBP’s fleet concentrates on customs and border protection, sniffing out drugs, migrants, and threats with radar, cameras, and sensors. No bombs, no guns—just brains and eyes.
This flight’s timing is explosive, coming a week after The New York Times dropped that Trump secretly greenlit Pentagon force against cartels, labeling them terrorists. Military options? ISR flights like this could scout labs or leaders. However, CBP-113 is unarmed—perfect for intel gathering without escalating to airstrikes.
The CIA’s reportedly flying similar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over Mexico for fentanyl lab hunts. NORTHCOM’s border Integrated Surveillance system includes U-2s, RC-135s, and RQ-4s, but no MQ-9s listed—yet they fuse data from everywhere. For drone enthusiasts like DJI fans, this is prime-time proof: drones like the Guardian can stay aloft 24+ hours, packing SeaVue radar for SAR mapping and MTS electro-optical/infrared turrets.
They beam real-time intel home, tracking vehicles through clouds or night. It’s the tech we drool over, deployed against real-world villains. If this is anti-cartel recon, CBP-113 just became a legend—hit share to spread the word!
This isn’t CBP’s first Mexican rodeo—trackers spotted them popping up in the Gulf before—but CBP-113’s bold track is definitive proof of deep ops. LNFM’s been indicted for trafficking, and with fentanyl deaths skyrocketing, Trump’s directive could mean more drone eyes south. Options? From sea intercepts to ground raids, but ISR leads the charge.
NORTHCOM’s Joint Intelligence Task Force Southern Border in Tucson fuses DOD, intel, and interagency data—CBP-113’s feed could plug right in. Gen. Gregory M. Guillot testified it’s “unparalleled sharing.” But is this the tip of the iceberg? Cartel violence rages, and with bounties on LNFM bosses, a drone spot could lead to arrests.
For drone enthusiasts, it’s thrilling—and a reminder to fly responsibly. CBP-113 shows unarmed drones pack punch in the fight against drugs. If you’re outraged by cartels or just love killer tech stories, share this far and wide. What’s next—drones nabbing El Pez? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and let’s blow this up!
As a drone enthusiast, seeing CBP-113 dive into Mexico fires me up. It’s not armed like an Air Force Reaper—nope, this Guardian’s all surveillance, proving brains beat brawn. Trump’s cartel war could mean more epic flights, saving lives from fentanyl floods. But let’s keep it real: these ops are hush-hush, so we might never get the full scoop. Still, it’s a win for tech we love.
Fly safe, share this story, and here’s to drones keeping borders—and the world—a bit safer. What do you think—cartel bust or recon routine?