Defense agencies of Mexico and the US have announced they are implementing a new collaborative strategy to combat drones used by criminal organizations. The operation, dubbed High Eagle, or Águila Alta, builds on recent tests of anti-drone technologies carried out along the border between the two countries.
The first phase of the strategy took place between August 31 and September 2 along the border between San Diego and Tijuana, Mexico. Initially, both military forces—simultaneously on the ground from their respective territories—tracked commercial drones used by criminal entities. In the second phase, the agencies neutralized the unmanned aerial vehicles, with support from fixed and mobile anti-drone systems. These activities began on September 7 and will continue through September 21.
The information released by Mexico’s Secretariat of National Defense, known as SEDENA, does not specify the kind of technology involved in the mission. However, US Northern Command has suggested that the operation might employ high-energy lasers. These extremely concentrated beams of light can—in various phases—detect, track, illuminate, damage, or destroy drones from a distance.
The US Army has invested in a particular laser system known as the Locust platform, which is designed for mounting on military vehicles. Authorities have had this technology at their disposal since September of last year, when the company that produces the system, AeroVironment, delivered the first two functional prototypes to the Armed Forces.
So far, it has not been confirmed that these systems are being used in Operation High Eagle, though the Mexican authorities have increased access to these state-of-the-art weapons. Last month, SEDENA and the US Department of Defense signed an agreement allowing the Mexican military to access the US Army’s digital marketplace for acquiring anti-drone systems at competitive prices.
Representatives from both countries have stated that the aim of this new operation and recent agreements is to strengthen efforts against organized crime, especially human and drug trafficking. Earlier this month, the US Northern Command announced it had disabled or destroyed approximately 300 drones linked to criminal activity this year, a third of which were taken down in August. Within recent weeks, 11 of the targets were involved with cartels.
The operation stems from the US-Mexico Bilateral Implementation Group. According to SEDENA, it aims to ensure security on both sides of the border, while respecting the national sovereignty of both nations and “prioritizing the interests of the Mexican State at all times.”
The US ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, stated that the agreement would strengthen both countries’ ability to combat cartels and address bilateral security challenges.
This story originally appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.