US Temporarily Restricts Drone Flights Along Mexican Border

Washington (ANTARA) – The United States government has imposed temporary flight restrictions along its border with Mexico, banning unauthorised drone flights, the US Department of War said on Friday (16 October).

“The US Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of War (DoW) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced a new coordinated effort to strengthen airspace security along the US southern border through temporary restrictions on drone flights,” the department said in a statement.

The restrictions, which took effect on Friday, prohibit unauthorised drone flights at altitudes of up to 400 feet (about 122 metres) above ground level within a zone approximately one nautical mile wide north of the US-Mexico border, according to the statement.

Citing US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the department said the US military intended to shoot down any drones operated by drug cartels along the border, including by using laser weapons.

Meanwhile, US Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin said the restrictions would help disrupt aerial surveillance and logistics routes used by transnational criminal organisations, while ensuring the safety of US security personnel deployed along the country’s southern border.

In October, media reports said the US military had begun testing counter-drone systems along the southern border in response to increased cartel activity. Over the past month, the military reportedly recorded 378 incidents of drones entering the area.