FAA bars unauthorized drones along US-Mexico border, citing security concerns

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday it is barring unauthorized drones along the US border with Mexico as the government steps up efforts to address concerns about illegal cross-border drug shipments.



The temporary flight restriction bars any unauthorized drone activity up to 400 feet (122 m) above ground level and extends one nautical mile north of the US-Mexico border. In April, the FAA and Pentagon signed an agreement allowing the government's use of a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the

southern US border with Mexico to address drone threats.



The Pentagon has said there are more than 1,000 drone incursions along the US-Mexico border each month. US security officials have increasingly expressed alarm about the use of drones by Mexican cartels to drop drug packages or surveil trafficking routes.