Tucson Standard

U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani, along with Representative John McGuire and other colleagues, has addressed a letter to key figures in the Department of Defense (DOD), Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) concerning the issue of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) at the southern border. The letter is directed to DOD Secretary Pete Hegseth, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, and FAA Acting Administrator Chris Rocheleau.

The use of drones by Mexican drug cartels for illegal activities poses significant security risks to federal law enforcement officers and military personnel stationed at the southern border. The letter seeks clarification from these agencies on their roles and responsibilities in monitoring and countering such drone threats. This matter was brought up during a recent congressional delegation led by Ciscomani with nine first-term members of Congress, including McGuire.

In their communication, the lawmakers stated: “We, the undersigned members of Congress, write to you to share a concern raised during a recent congressional delegation to the Southern Border regarding countering unmanned aerial systems (c-UAS) and the current authorities granted to the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security.”

They further expressed concerns based on feedback from ground commanders about conducting c-UAS operations if cartel drones were used against U.S. service members or federal law enforcement.

The letter outlines that since President Trump took office on January 20th, 2025, there has been an emphasis on securing U.S. borders by both DOD and DHS. There has been a noted decrease in illegal crossings and migrant encounters recently. Currently, around 9,000 personnel are deployed to support border missions alongside U.S. Border Patrol.

Highlighting past incidents like the Tower 22 attack in Jordan in 2024 that resulted in casualties among U.S. servicemembers due to small UAS systems, they pointed out existing legal provisions under which DOD and DHS can conduct c-UAS within Continental United States but noted reluctance or lack of equipment among federal entities to act upon these authorities.

The lawmakers requested answers within 30 days regarding agency responsibility for UAS threats at the southern border, steps taken for threat assessment from drones, definitions of threats towards border missions including intelligence-gathering drones, response times for hostile drone neutralization, and current equipment available for c-UAS operations at the border.

They concluded by expressing anticipation for collaboration with these agencies "in securing the border and preserving the safety of our servicemembers and their federal law enforcement partners."