The United States has increased its secret drone flights over Mexico to locate fentanyl laboratories as part of a more aggressive strategy against drug cartels, a program initiated under the Biden administration. While the C.I.A. is not currently authorized to conduct lethal operations with these drones, they are collecting intelligence to share with Mexican officials. The program aims to support Mexico's efforts against the fentanyl crisis, which includes deploying troops to the border, though additional actions against labs are requested by the Trump administration.
The covert drone program, which has not been previously disclosed, began under the Biden administration, according to U.S. officials and others familiar with the program.
For now, C.I.A. officers in Mexico pass information collected by the drones to Mexican officials, as there are no current authorizations for lethal action.
Fentanyl labs emit chemicals that make them easy to find from the air, allowing drones to effectively identify these locations.
The Mexican government has taken steps to address the Trump administration's concerns about fentanyl, deploying 10,000 troops to the border this month.
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