Memos sent to Border Patrol agents about cartels giving the green light to use drone explosives on law enforcement | Law Enforcement Today

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A report from NewsNation states that dangerous cartels have given the green light to its members to use weaponized drone explosives against border patrol agents and other U.S. law enforcement who are at the southern border. This information comes as violent threats against agents and officers are escalating on social media, with some promising the use of deadly force against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers.

Due to the escalation in threats, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has circulated two memos among its agents and officers within the agency. One of the communications references three different social media posts that specifically include threats. One post encourages people to assassinate ICE police, while a TikTok video tells immigrants who have illegally crossed into the U.S. to "spit and urinate" on ICE agents' food and to "defecate" in their vehicles.

Another post allegedly calls for the murder of local ICE agents. A second memo warns that cartels have authorized the use of drone explosives against CBP personnel and U.S. law enforcement officers. Border czar Tom Homan told NewsNation that leaked information about targeted operations has forced authorities to pivot in order to keep its agents and officers safe.

Homan said, "We've got many target cities, but I'm not going to share them with you because we got to keep our officers safe. Matter of fact, Chicago, that operation was leaked, so we had to reschedule that one. But we need an element of surprise because of officer safety issues. We don't want the bad guy to know we're coming."

The memo reminded agents to be cognizant of their surroundings and to be wearing their ballistic armor as well as utilizing their long firearms. Maryland Rep. Glenn Ivey, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, told NewsNation that weaponized drones have become more common in warfare, so it is not surprising that cartels may be poised to use them at the U.S. border.

According to the Latin Times, Border Patrol agents have reported an increase in violence as smugglers are using homemade tire deflation devices to disrupt operations in San Diego, California. Smugglers are employing improvised tire deflation devices, designed to disable law enforcement vehicles and hinder their pursuit of smugglers.

Justin Castrejon, a spokesman for Border Patrol said in a statement, "These devices are made from bent nails welded together and two-by-fours with nails punctured through them." He said that the homemade devices have been used on at least 20 different occasions in recent months, particularly in the Otay Mesa area.

The spikes are typically deployed during human smuggling operations. Smugglers in Mexico are throwing the tire deflation devices at agents' vehicles in an effort to stop them from chasing the illegal immigrants. Castrjon said, "What agents are reporting to us is that, as human smuggling events are taking place, smugglers are actively throwing these devices out to damage our vehicles."

He also said that the spikes are not only a means to damage the vehicles but also a way to target law enforcement directly. He said, "We see this as an uptick in violence against law enforcement." Border Patrol agents have previously been attacked by rocks and smugglers are now shouting "fight" instead of "run" to illegal immigrants, which according to Castrejon, signals a shift in their approach to resisting agents. 

Border Patrol is actively monitoring the situation. He said, "We notice who is doing it and are notifying law enforcement south of the border as the incidents take place. This area is heavily patrolled, under surveillance, and we are using our technology to identify those responsible and put an end to these actions."