Northern Command confirms use of flights to monitor Mexican drug cartels

The head of Northern Command, General Gregory Guillot, and the North American Aerospace Defense Command, confirmed that the Pentagon uses aerial surveillance to control drug cartels in Mexico.

Guillot's statements came when he was asked about the flights in a Senate hearing. In addition, he detailed that Mexican cartels are monitored through air reconnaissance to get more information about them and find out how to counter their actions.

Guillot also described how transnational criminal cartels based in Mexico are a threat to the territorial integrity of the United States and the safety of its citizens.

"With that strategic backdrop, homeland defense is our commands' top priority and essential task, and in mindset and action, nobody waits on NORAD or Northcom," Guillot said before proceeding to list numerous examples of how both commands have been addressing the challenges he listed.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum maintained that she will ask the U.S. to share the information gathered with her government. She also maintained that she is not alarmed by the operations.

In that sense, she emphasized that this is an example of collaboration between Mexico and the United States. She insisted that this is not something new but rather flights that have been carried out before.

"We are not alarmed, they are flying within their territory; transparency is requested, but it is part of the participation, it is not the first time there is a flight of this type, each one operates its territory," Sheinbaum said in an appearance before the media.