The United States government plans to officially designate six Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations. Although the MQ-9 Reaper drones are not yet armed, there is a possibility that they may be in the future, according to Elon Musk.
Among the cartels that could be considered terrorists are the Sinaloa Cartel, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, the United Cartels, the Northeast Cartel, the Gulf Cartel, and the New Michoacan Family.
These U.S. drones may be armed with Hellfire missiles, laser-guided bombs GBU-12 Paveway II, and JDAM bombs GBU-38. They are designed for precision strikes against ground targets such as vehicles, buildings, or military installations, such as laboratories suspected of drug production, like fentanyl in Mexico.
The leaked document reveals that the designation of the cartels as terrorist organizations will be effective from February 20, 2025. This announcement generated a response from Elon Musk, who warned that the cartels would be eligible for drone strikes once they are officially designated as terrorists.
According to information circulating on social media, CIA MQ-9 Reaper drones have been spotted flying over Mexican airspace without the consent of Mexican authorities. The CIA has secretly deployed these drones over Mexico, following a strategy similar to that used in the fight against terrorism in Syria and Iraq.
