The U.S. military is ramping up airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels to gather intelligence for devising effective strategies to counter their operations, said General Gregory Guillot, overseeing U.S. troops in North America. President Donald Trump has implemented various measures concerning immigration and the Mexican border, including deploying extra troops and threatening to designate cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
"We have also enhanced certain military resources to target... the cartels, which are fueling illegal migration, primarily through airborne ISR to gather more information on them and develop ways to thwart their activities," Guillot explained, referring to intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance operations.
When questioned about the possibility of deploying a carrier strike group between the U.S. and Mexico, Guillot replied, "I will require a notably increased maritime presence in collaboration with the Coast Guard."
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum noted that Mexico was not unsettled by the flights over U.S. territory but expressed a desire for additional information on them. She remarked, "This is not unprecedented, and we will seek clarification as part of our coordination."
Regarding Trump's executive order considering the classification of cartels as "foreign terrorist organizations," Sheinbaum conveyed Mexico's ongoing communication with the U.S. and her belief that military intervention against the cartels by the Trump administration would be viewed as a violation of Mexico's sovereignty by many Mexicans.