US and Mexico Jointly Dismantle Cartel Scout Sites and Drug Labs

Joint Operation Against Cartel Scout Sites

• 🎯 US and Mexican authorities are collaborating in a rare joint effort to dismantle cartel scout sites along the southern border.
• 💡 These scout sites serve as the "eyes and ears" for cartels, guiding drug smuggling operations into the US.
• ⚡ In one instance, Border Patrol agents in Tucson, Arizona, shared intelligence with Mexican counterparts, leading to the disruption of a lookout site.
• 🚨 Mexican forces arrested four suspects and seized methamphetamine, ammunition, and tactical gear.

Cartel Technology and Border Defenses

• 📡 Cartel scouts utilized solar panels and radio communication gear to monitor border patrol movements and guide smugglers through the desert.
• 🛡️ In response, the US is enhancing its border defenses, with Defense Secretary Pete Hass visiting a newly created national defense area in New Mexico.
• militarized zone is under military control, with troops empowered to arrest and detain illegal crossers.
• 🚁 The US military is deploying drones, striker brigade teams, and helicopters to bolster border security.

Operation Northern Border and Drug Lab Dismantling

• 🇲🇽 Mexico launched Operation Fora Nortes (Operation Northern Border), deploying 10,000 National Guards to its northern borders.
• ⚖️ Since February, this operation has resulted in over 2,700 arrests, seizure of thousands of guns and rounds of ammunition, and significant drug confiscations, including over 350 lbs of fentanyl.
• 🧪 Mexican Marines dismantled two hidden meth labs in Durango, seizing approximately 330 lbs of meth and precursor chemicals.
• 💰 These actions represent a major financial blow to cartels, costing them millions of dollars and contributing to record lows in illegal immigration.