Mexican drug cartels have reportedly authorized the use of weaponized drones and other explosives against U.S. Border Patrol agents in response to increased enforcement efforts under the Trump administration. According to intelligence sources, cartel leaders are directing their operatives to carry out these attacks as tensions rise along the southern border.

An internal memo titled “Officer Safety Alert,” which was cited by the New York Post, warned federal agents of this emerging threat, referencing social media posts and other intelligence sources. Agents were urged to remain “cognizant of their surroundings” and to ensure they are equipped with ballistic armor and long firearms, Fox reports.

BREAKING: Border Patrol sent out a memo informing agents that cartel bosses have authorized the use of weaponized drones against our agents!

The cartels should know what just happened to ISIS members in Somalia. pic.twitter.com/SpqA6UmSSJ

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 1, 2025

“On February 1, 2025, the El Paso Sector Intelligence and Operations Center (EPT-IOC) received information advising that Mexican cartel leaders have authorized the deployment of drones equipped with explosives to be used against US Border Patrol agents and US military personnel currently working along the border with Mexico,” the memo, obtained by the newspaper, states.

“It is recommended that all US Border Patrol agents and DoD personnel working along the border report any sighting of drones to their respective leadership staff and the EPT-IOC,” it added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for comment and received no response.

News Nation, the first to report on the memo, also highlighted social media posts allegedly linked to Mexican cartels that encourage illegal immigrants to harass ICE agents by spitting and urinating on them, as well as defiling their vehicles. Other posts have reportedly called for assassins to target border enforcement personnel.

NOW – Tom Homan Declares War on Cartels After Border Agents Fired Upon |

"The whole of government is going to dismantle these people and wipe them off the face of the earth."

Things are heating up fast.

Border Czar Tom Homan just announced that the U.S. is preparing to wage… pic.twitter.com/eEH9fKTpXL

— Overton (@overton_news) January 28, 2025

In a separate incident last week, Border Patrol agents in Fronton, Texas, came under fire from cartel members operating from Mexico, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). The attackers reportedly retreated to an island along the border after encountering a military presence.

The memo surfaces amid intensified deportation efforts under the Trump administration, particularly targeting illegal immigrants with criminal records, alongside heightened security measures at the border. Cartel leaders view the increased U.S. enforcement as a threat to their smuggling operations, both for narcotics and human trafficking, according to the New York Post.

Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, has proposed an unconventional approach to combating cartels—allowing private entities to engage in counter-cartel operations for financial incentives.

“Congress could issue letters of marque and reprisal authorizing private security firms or specially trained civilians to intercept cartel operations, particularly those involving drug shipments or human trafficking across borders,” Lee wrote on X. “Focus on disrupting supply lines, capturing high-value targets, or seizing assets like boats, vehicles, cash, gold, or equipment used in criminal activities.”

Lee argued that such a measure would reduce costs for American taxpayers, as private operatives would be compensated through a share of the seized assets.