High Tech Drones Own the Sky: The Next Wave in Drug Trafficking

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Mexico is the leading foreign supplier of illicit drugs to the United States of America. The two biggest imports of illegal drugs from Mexico are methamphetamine, heroin (a highly addictive and life threatening substance) and marijuana. Cocaine is the fourth largest illicit drug import from Mexico and authorities estimate that the drug trade accounts for approximately $1.2 trillion dollars GDP annually for Mexico, with more than $30 billion dollars in sales, employing an estimated 500,000 drug traffickers.

Some of the better known Mexican drug cartels include the Zetas, the Sinaloa Cartel, the Juarez Cartel and the Beltran Leyva family but for all involved in the drug trade in Mexico, the trafficking of controlled substances is big business. It is also a high risk business with increased pressure and security at US and Mexican borders. Interesting the technology now being used to import drugs most successfully involves research and development that began in the United States for military applications; the drone or UAV.

The Use of Unmanned Arial Vehicles in the United States

Drones were first used in military operations as affordable air surveillance in combat zones. The first rudimentary UAV’s (Unmanned Arial Vehicles) were used by the United States government after World War II, but it wasn’t until 1984 that US officials invested substantially in contracts to develop UAV technology and hardware.

In 1984 the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) provided $40 million dollars in funding to build a high endurance model UAV called “Amber” for use in reconnaissance projects and as cruise missiles. The Amber model was 15 feet long with a total wingspan of 28 feet and featured a 65 hp engine and propeller tail.

Other projects utilizing UAV technology were funded through a Joint Program Office for UAV development until funding was cut and it was sold to a private contractor named General Atomics. The private manufacturer established the MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reapers, which were deployed as part of security efforts at the Mexican border. The UAV program was responsible for the apprehension of drug traffickers and assisted in the arrest of 3,900 individuals and the seizure of over four tonnes of marijuana at the Mexican border in the initial six month operation.

The use of drones has been considered for more than surveillance, and proposals have been discussed for agricultural services, the safety inspection of oil and natural gas pipelines, poaching and wildlife conservation and for assistance in fighting forest fires.

The practical applications for UAV’s were not only noted by governments around the world who now support their own domestic use of drones, but also by criminal drug traffickers who see the technology as a high cost but low risk alternative to using humans to smuggle drugs across the border. Keep in mind that for many areas of the US and Mexico border, the line is a simple brick wall or fence that can be easily circumvented by a customized drone.

How the Mexican Drug Cartels Use Drones to Smuggle Drugs

If you are imagining a UAV or mini-clone vehicle to be something similar to a remote control plane, you are not crediting the technology for its level of advancement. Previous to the use of drones, other innovative measures (aside from using human ‘mules’) included tunneling under the USA and Mexican border, catapulting drug packages over the border for interception by American traffickers (some smaller operations have even used t-shirt cannons) and stuffing merchandise and vehicles for container shipping by sea with illicit substances.

The problem with traditional methods of shipping illicit drugs is the high level of border and shipping security that exists between Mexico and the United States. That is good news for the US but bad news for cartels who lose an estimated 80% or more of attempted shipments. Given the value of the product and the high detection rate at border crossings (which use infrared and x-ray equipment at security checks) Mexican traffickers have innovated a new and lower risk method using drones.

The drone is equipped with GPS technology that can be used to pre-program a packed drone to land in a specific place, where it can be safely intercepted by an American trafficker. In some cases depending on the model, the drone can be manually programmed to return to its original coordinates after the delivery, making disposal of the equipment a non-issue for evidence. It is also cost effective as the drone can be used for multiple delivery attempts.

Counter intelligence is now developing new compact drone technology to assist with Mexican and US border control and surveillance to apprehend traffickers. A new war on drugs has taken flight and continues to escalate between the United States and the Mexican drug cartels.

The Charge Still Stands: Why Using a Drone is Still Considered Trafficking

In most cases of drug conviction, the evidence or the illicit substances have to be found on the premises (home or business) or inside property belonging to the accused in order to be charged with trafficking. The quantity and type of the illicit drug is also important as it determines the severity of the trafficking charge. Heroin for example is deemed to be a Schedule I drug and methamphetamine is considered to be a slightly lower threat drug, and is rated as a Schedule II substance. A drug crime attorney in Chicago can evaluate the severity of the charge and prior convictions to determine possible sentencing and fines that may be levied if an accused is convicted.

Illegal distribution of any controlled substance is considered to be a felony offense with a first time possible prison sentence of 5-40 years and a maximum fine of $5 million dollars for 100 – 999 grams of a Schedule I drug or 500 – 4,999 grams of a Schedule II drug, such as cocaine. Life sentences are not uncommon in second offense convictions of drug trafficking and can be equivalent in severity and duration to aggravated assault or murder charges.

For more information and statistics on sentencing for convicted drug traffickers, visit the United States Sentencing Commission and read the 2013 “Quick Facts: Drug Trafficking Convictions” report.