Cartel Drones Worry Texas, New Mexico Border Officials

All along the border, Mexican drug cartels and human traffickers are starting to use drones to get contraband and people into Texas and New Mexico.

Drones have become super popular and they're being used for all kinds of different things like photography, making deliveries and police surveillance among other uses.

Their use is raising security concerns all over the world, including the border between the United States of America and Mexico.

New Mexico recently arranged a meeting between Mexican and American officials like Bernalillo County District Attorney Sam Bregman, Chihuahua Public Safety Secretary Gilberto Loya and others to try and come up with a plan. Meanwhile, Texas is using their own drones to try and keep the border secure.

What Are Criminals Doing With Drones?

There are many ways to illegally use drones. At the average citizen level, they can be used for illegal surveillance, stalking and privacy invasions among other things.

At the major criminal level, they can be used to carry weapons and to drop off packages of illegal contraband. They can also be used to guide human traffickers and illegal migrants into the country and/or around border officials.

New Mexico Enacts New Drone Law

They sent a new bill, SB 136, to New Mexico's Senate Judiciary Committee last week.

It creates the crime of unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft and establishes penalties ranging from a misdemeanor to a fourth-degree felony.

READ MORE: El Paso Police Have A Drone Fleet

Examples of unlawful use is directing the drone toward critical infrastructure such as utility plants, pipelines, jails, detention centers or airports. Other instances are using a drone in the commission of a crime or capturing images of a person for unauthorized surveillance. - borderreport.com

How Do You Catch Drone Pilots?

That part I don't understand. Obviously, law enforcement could wind up snagging the drugs/contraband and migrant guides/human traffickers could be arrested on site but the drone and its pilot are really the key here. You can't enforce these new laws without a criminal. How do you get them?

Drone Operators Can Be Identified

It's kind of complicated so, I'll let you read about it here. Not only is it a complicated process but a lot of it relies on the drone operators doing everything with regard to their drone "by the book".

Something criminals, (especially drug cartels), aren't typically known for doing so, catching one ... especially if they're in a foreign country ... is a loooooooooong longshot.