Drones, Cartels, and Sovereignty: Inside the U.S.-Mexico Security Cooperation

In this episode of Mexico Matters, Mariana Campero is joined by David Mora, Senior Analyst for Mexico at the International Crisis Group, for a candid, field-based examination of the escalating power of Mexican cartels and the controversial increase in bilateral intelligence cooperation. 

Together, they unpack the subtleties and the realities of criminal territorial control and how criminal group dominance impacts everyday life and regional economies. They also explain how drone technologies are being weaponized by cartels, through improving cartels’ ability for control, surveillance, and waging war.  They also discuss how President Claudia Sheinbaum has drawn a clear red line of cooperation with the United States and is not applying the same rules when it comes to prosecuting members of her own party. Finally, they speak about the systemic challenge of U.S. firearm trafficking into Mexico, and the future of cross-border intelligence sharing.