A contingent of House Republicans want to know what’s being done about drone incursions along our southern border with Mexico. On Mar. 18, Republican lawmakers sent a letter to the Department of Defense, Homeland Security and Federal Aviation Administration with five questions.
The letter was signed by U.S. Reps John McGuire, Juan Ciscomani, Derek Schmidt, Mike Kennedy and Jeff Crank. The following questions were asked:
- Which agency is primarily responsible for responding to UAS (Unmanned Aerial Systems) threats at the Southern Border?
- What steps are being taken to determine if a drone poses an immediate threat?
- What is the current definition of a threat towards the Southern Border mission? Would this include drones that are suspected of gathering intelligence?
- How quickly can a determination be made to take down a hostile drone if necessary?
- What equipment is currently in place at the border to perform (countering) c-UAS?
The lawmakers are asking for a response to these questions within 30 days. The letter was sent to DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Acting FAA Administrator Chris Rocheleau. The letter was sent following a recent trip to the southern border by 9 first-term members of Congress.
During a trip to the border in January, Border Patrol agents told KPRC 2 Investigates they’ve seen an increasing number of drones used by smugglers and drug traffickers to spy on their movements. In 2023, the Border Patrol Chief for the Rio Grande Valley sector told the House Oversight Committee there were 10,000 drone incursions and 25,000 drone sightings in her sector alone.
“The adversaries have 17 times the number of drones, twice the amount of flight hours, and unlimited funding to grow their operations,” said U.S. Border Patrol Chief Gloria Chavez during the 2023 committee hearing.
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