Judicial Watch: Customs and Border Protection Seize Drones Flying Meth, Heroin, Fentanyl Across U.S. Borders

(Washington, DC) – Judicial Watch announced today it received 14 pages of records from U.S. Customs and Border Protection in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request that show border agents seized drones transporting methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl across the U.S. southern and northern borders.

 The records were produced in response to a March 16, 2022, FOIA request for: 

Any and all records maintained by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department of Homeland Security concerning (1) drones recovered or seized along the United States and Mexico Border (2) type and quantity of any illegal drugs seized from those drones recovered or seized drones (3) location where drones were seized or recovered (4) arrests or convictions resulting from illegal drugs being transported across the United States border via any type of drone (5) confirmed or suspected incidents where decoy drones were used to draw agents to a fake drug drop site.

The newly obtained records include a September 21, 2022, Customs and Border Protection “Significant Incident Report,” describing activity in New York:

At approximately 0200hrs on 09/21/22, Agents of [redacted] Station in conjunction with [redacted] were notified that [redacted] identified a DJI M300 drone originating in the United States had entered Canada. The drone landed and spent approximately 10 minutes in Canada. The drone returned to the United States to [redacted] NY where agents were waiting and observed the drone and an attached package, land in the back yard. Agents entered the property and encountered the drone pilot and an unknown number of additional subjects. At that time, all subjects fled the yard and entered the house. Agents in hot pursuit, entered the house and took the pilot into custody. An unknown number of subjects absconded from the house into the surrounding neighborhood and 2 additional subjects were later taken into custody. All subjects were identified as Chinese nationals, claiming U.S. citizenship. The house was cleared for potential people and no evidence was seized at that time. At this time, the house is secured pending a search warrant from federal district court to enter the residence and seize evidence. At this time, there is a potential to seize a house, 2 vehicles, the package of suspected narcotics, several drones and associated hardware and an unknown quantity of cash. The suspected narcotics were field tested using the [redacted] and tested positive for the properties of methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA) with a weight of 3123 grams [6.88 lbs.].

An October 7, 2021, Customs and Border Protection “Evolving Situation Report” on “Drug Seizure” describes activity in California:

9:28 AM….

[A]t approximately 0840 hrs., a drone [redacted] made an incursion in [redacted] west of [redacted] POE [point of entry]. Agents on the ground observed the drone drop a white package as it hovered over a parking lot west of the [redacted] California POE, [redacted]….

12:29 At approximately 0850, agents on the ground were able to seize the drone along with a small package filled with a white powder substance at the following location [redacted]. 2 USC’s [likely referring to U.S. citizens] were arrested in connection with the drone and transported to [redacted]. Agents from [redacted] responded to interview the subjects. The white powder will be transported to the [redacted] checkpoint to be identified utilizing a [redacted] narcotics analyzer….

17:15 The white powder was tested and determined to be methamphetamine with a weight of .26 kilograms [over ½ lb] and a street value of $1500. The drone and meth have been transported to [redacted] and placed into the [redacted].

An April 29, 2020, Customs and Border Protection “Significant Incident Report” describes activity in Arizona:

[A]t approximately 1705 hours [redacted] Border Patrol Agents (BPAs) in the field notified the [redacted] Border Patrol Station Duty Desk [redacted] regarding a downed drone containing possible narcotics. Supervisory Boder Patrol Agents … arrived on scene and photographed the evidence. BPAs seized and transported the drone and possible narcotics to [redacted] Station. The Yuma Sector Evidence Team … was notified and responded to the [redacted] Station for testing and fingerprinting.

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1854 hours: Narcotics tested positive for methamphetamine (462.82g) [over 1 lb].

A May 7, 2020, Customs and Border Protection “Significant Incident Report” states that, at approximately 2100 hours, Border Patrol agents report an abandoned drone near (redacted) Arizona, with two packages containing a white substance that tests positive for 727.2 grams, over 1 ½ lbs., of methamphetamine.

A June 26, 2020, Customs and Border Protection “Significant Incident Report” describes activity in Arizona. At approximately 0340 hours, (redacted) police department asks for assistance with a possible drone they found in a resident’s backyard. A Border Patrol agent responds and discovers a drone along with several packages that test positive for narcotics. The drone and narcotics are seized.

A September 7, 2021, Customs and Border Protection “Significant Incident Report” describes activity in Arizona. At approximately 0037 hours, a drone from Mexico is detected entering the United States near (redacted), Arizona. At 0136 hours the “DJI Inspire 2” drone is discovered on the ground and contraband is discovered attached to it. The contraband tests positive for 1.47689676 kgs, over 3 lbs., of methamphetamine.

An October 29, 2021, Customs and Border Protection “Significant Incident Report” describes activity in Arizona. At approximately 2030 hours, a Border Patrol agent detects a drone entering the United States (Arizona) from Mexico near (redacted). The agent is able to “mitigate the drone” and force it to land. Three kilograms, over six and one-half lbs., of heroin is attached to the bottom of the drone.

A September 2, 2021, Customs and Border Protection “Evolving Situation Report” regarding an “incursion” in California states:

[A]t approximately 10:21 p.m., the [redacted] Border Patrol Station is notified by the San Diego Sector [redacted] of a possible drone incursion … [originating] in an area of Mexico … The possible drone then promptly returned to Mexico … The drone made a second incursion from the same location and proceeded to the drop location. A white Chevrolet Equinox arrived at the location of the drop … Agents followed the Equinox … where it was traffic stopped by [redacted] officers. Seven bricks of an unknown substance consistent [with] cocaine and two Tupperware containers of pills consistent [with] Fentanyl [were seized].

“These documents dramatically confirm that the Biden administration allowed the drug cartels, which the Trump administration has correctly identified as terrorist threats, to engage military-like drone campaigns against the United States from abroad,” said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.

In an April 12, 2022, Corruption Chronicles report, Judicial Watch detailed how Mexican drug cartels conducted more than 9,000 drone flights into U.S. airspace in the previous year to surveil American law enforcement and security operations in the southern border region.

A senior Homeland Security official told Judicial Watch the drones are observing federal, state, county, and city agencies near the Mexican border, including the U.S. Border Patrol, Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas National Guard, county sheriffs and local police. The Border Patrol, which operates under Customs and Border Protection (CBP), has captured about a dozen of the drones, and accessed the Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’ (UAVs) guidance and memory systems to gain intelligence information, according to a high-level official at the agency.

Judicial Watch learned about the Mexican cartel drone incursions during a visit to the southern border and specifically while interviewing federal officials at the Customs and Border Protection Rio Grande Valley sector in Texas. 

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