The Mexican authorities have communicated this Friday that, in a joint operation with the United States, a drone operator was arrested who was using these aircraft to monitor illegal migrant crossing routes through the common border.
Within a coordinated device with the United States in the border strip between Tijuana and San Diego, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection "detected and inhibited" in Tijuana "a commercially characteristic drone that entered national territory from the United States" and that "was used by a criminal group to monitor routes used for the illegal trafficking of people to that country."
As a result, Mexican Army personnel carried out surveillance patrols and ground reconnaissance that allowed for the location of the alleged person responsible for operating the drone, who was arrested, according to details provided by the Secretariat of National Defense of Mexico.
"During this action, a short firearm, magazines, cartridges, and a drone controller were secured. The detained person and the secured objects were made available to the competent authorities, in order to determine their legal situation," the Mexican Executive has reported.
The action has received the support of U.S. authorities. The ambassador in Mexico, Ronald Johnson, has emphasized that collaboration between the two neighboring countries "makes information turn into action." "Interrupting criminal and terrorist operations, making our border safer," he highlighted when referring to the joint operation.