Mexican drug cartels have fanned out into every corner of the country.
They thought they were operating beneath the radar.
But Kash Patel took the fight to drug cartels in the last place they were expecting.
Cartels turn to aerial drops as FBI Director exposes drone warfare
FBI Director Kash Patel revealed shocking intelligence during House Judiciary Committee testimony that shows how far Mexican cartels have escalated their operations on American soil.
The criminal organizations have moved beyond traditional smuggling methods.
They’re now using military-style drone technology to deliver narcotics directly onto Native American reservation land.
"What’s happening is the Mexican drug cartels are literally flying overhead, dropping their cargo – their narcotics – onto this land where no one’s looking," Patel explained to lawmakers during the hearing.¹
Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) highlighted the Trump administration’s response – deploying nearly 100 federal agents to Wyoming’s Wind River Indian Reservation under interim U.S. Attorney Darin Smith, President Trump’s nominee for the position.
This massive law enforcement surge represents a complete reversal from the Biden administration’s hands-off approach to cartel infiltration.
The FBI Director said his agency keeps rotating teams of agents through tribal territories nationwide, and those field reports keep coming back with the same message – they need more help.
Patel didn’t mince words about what these cartel drone drops are doing to reservation communities.
The drugs are being "disseminated to children, youth, and adults on those lands, killing them," he told the committee.
Trump administration deploys counter-drone technology
Here’s the part that should have every patriot cheering – and every cartel leader sweating.
The solution isn’t more bureaucracy or additional congressional hearings about border security.
It’s American technological superiority deployed against foreign criminal aircraft operating over sovereign U.S. territory.
"What we’ve found is, that most of these lands can be assisted by our counter UAS (unmanned aerial systems) program – our drone capabilities," Patel told the committee.²
"And we’re going to do it."
The FBI Director emphasized that neutralizing cartel drones has become essential for national security, particularly with major international events like the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics scheduled on American soil.
"We have to have it," Patel said regarding expanded congressional funding for federal counter-drone operations.
Recent congressional testimony revealed that border authorities tracked tens of thousands of cartel drones approaching U.S. territory last year alone.³
Intelligence reports show these criminal organizations deploy weaponized aircraft for attacks against rival cartels using explosive payloads.
Biden’s DOJ targeted conservatives while ignoring cartel bombardment
Look, here’s what should make every American’s blood boil about this situation.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland spent last year claiming the Justice Department lacked "sufficient resources from Congress" to protect tribal communities from cartel violence.
But Representative Hageman exposed exactly where Garland’s priorities actually lay during the Biden years.
When Hageman asked Patel whether Garland could have accomplished more for reservation communities without launching investigations targeting conservative groups, the FBI Director didn’t hesitate.
"I do believe so," Patel responded.⁴
Recent reports confirmed that former special counsel Jack Smith’s office probed Turning Point USA – the group helmed by the late Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated on September 10th.
The Biden administration found plenty of manpower to investigate conservative activists and intimidate parents at school board meetings.
They just couldn’t spare any resources to stop Mexican criminals from conducting aerial bombardment campaigns against Native American children.
For folks who actually believe in protecting America’s most vulnerable communities, this should be infuriating.
The same federal law enforcement machine that spent four years harassing Trump supporters completely ignored foreign criminal groups literally dropping poison from the sky onto tribal land.
Patel made clear that building relationships with tribal leadership remains crucial for successful operations in these areas.
"I need our police and FBI agents to be engaging with tribal leaders, otherwise we’re not going to break through," the FBI Director stated.
Current FBI operations include nearly 2,000 active cases across Indian Country, resulting in 600 criminal indictments this year.
Northern Arapaho Business Council Chairman Keenan Groesbeck confirmed that tribal governments share serious concerns about cartel-related drug trafficking and other criminal enterprises on reservation territory.
The Trump administration refuses to wait for more studies or bureaucratic red tape.
They’re deploying advanced counter-drone systems to eliminate cartel aircraft and destroy the aerial supply chains that have been poisoning tribal communities for years.
This is what real law enforcement looks like – protecting American families instead of persecuting political opponents.
¹ Clair McFarland, "FBI Director: It’s Time To Send Drones To Battle Drugs On The Reservation," Cowboy State Daily, September 23, 2025.
² Ibid.
³ Ibid.
⁴ Ibid.
