The government of the United States has increased the number of military operations near the border with Mexico compared to previous years, which has raised concerns within the Mexican government. Experts believe that these actions could be a form of pressure for Mexico to cooperate more on security issues, especially in the fight against drug trafficking.
According to an analysis conducted by researchers, there is concern in Mexico that these military operations could escalate to direct interventions, either by land or air, within Mexican territory. Recently, there has been a significant increase in U.S. spy flights in international waters to monitor Mexican drug cartels, such as the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel at the southern border.
The Mexican federal government anticipates an escalation of intelligence and military actions by the United States in the region. Although reconnaissance flights have not invaded Mexican territory, Mexican authorities believe that they may constitute an act of espionage. General Gregory Guillot, chief of U.S. Northern Command, confirmed that intelligence flights are being conducted to gather information on organized crime activities.
The president of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has stated that she is not alarmed by U.S. spy flights near Mexico and will seek an explanation regarding these operations. Sheinbaum mentioned that coordination and cooperation with the U.S. government on this issue is being sought. Meanwhile, Mexico's Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, has indicated that there has been no evidence of a violation of national airspace by the United States so far, but does not rule out the possibility of aerial espionage in the region.
The actions of the United States occur in a context where Mexico has agreed to send 10,000 elements of the National Guard to the border with the United States to avoid tariffs and following the designation of drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Manuel Espino, a journalist for El Universal, argues that the increase in flights seeks to pressure the Mexican government to cooperate more on security matters.
