Mexican Drug Cartels Weaponize Drones in Escalating Conflict

October 2, 2025 - CHIHUAHUA, Mexico - In a chilling evolution of cartel warfare, Mexican criminal organizations are now deploying drones to drop explosives on rival groups and government forces-marking a dangerous new chapter in the country's security crisis.

From Surveillance to Strike: Drones Become Weapons of War

Once used primarily for smuggling and surveillance, drones have become airborne bombers in cartel arsenals. According to the Mexican Army, cartels carried out 260 drone bomb attacks in 2023 alone, a dramatic rise from previous years when such tactics were virtually unheard of.

These attacks typically involve homemade explosive devices, often crafted from black powder or stolen blasting compounds, and dropped from commercial drones retrofitted with release mechanisms.

Targeting Rivals and Authorities

• In Chihuahua, the La Línea faction of the Juárez Cartel launched a drone strike against Sinaloa Cartel members using improvised grenades.

• In Michoacán, where the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) is locked in a brutal turf war, drone attacks are reportedly a near-daily occurrence, with civilians and law enforcement caught in the crossfire.

• In August 2023, two Mexican soldiers were killed by drone-dropped explosives in Michoacán.

Explosive Devices on the Rise

The Mexican military reports that 556 improvised explosive devices (IEDs)-including roadside bombs, car bombs, and drone-carried explosives-were found in 2023. Since 2018, over 2,800 IEDs have been discovered nationwide.

More than half of these were located in Michoacán, followed by Guanajuato and Jalisco, all hotspots of cartel violence.

🇺🇸 Spillover Concerns at the U.S. Border

U.S. officials are increasingly alarmed. In a six-month span, 60,000 cartel-operated drones were detected near the U.S.-Mexico border, many conducting hostile surveillance or smuggling operations. The Department of Homeland Security warns it's only a matter of time before armed drones target American law enforcement or civilians.

Homemade but Deadly

Defense Secretary Luis Cresencio Sandoval emphasized that these devices are crafted using online tutorials, making them accessible to non-state actors. While many fail to detonate, the ones that do have caused dozens of injuries and multiple deaths.

A New Era of Cartel Warfare

The use of drones for bombing runs signals a shift toward asymmetric warfare, where cartels mimic tactics seen in global conflict zones. It also raises urgent questions about:

• Airspace regulation and counter-drone technology

• Civilian protection in conflict zones

• Cross-border coordination between U.S. and Mexican authorities