Republican Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford is introducing a bill to combat an increase in drone activity from Mexican cartels on the U.S.-Mexico border, the Daily Caller has learned.

The Border Drone Assessment Act, which Democratic Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly is co-sponsoring, would require the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security to conduct a threat assessment on unmanned aircraft activity at the nation’s borders, according to a review by the Caller.

That threat assessment would include a detailed report on who specifically is operating the drones, what threat they pose to US national security, what data they may be collecting and how they use it.

The bill would require the Under Secretary to submit a detailed report to Congress including a description of the tactics used by the drone operators, a description of current U.S. capabilities to countermand the drones and a description current policies in place to protect the privacy and civil liberties of people who legally operate drones near the border.

“When American airspace is violated by cartels and bad actors, America should be able to defend itself. We need a clear strategy to counter unmanned aircraft systems that cartels use and that threaten border security,” Senator Lankford told the Caller.

The U.S. military has noticed an increase in cartel-operated drones in recent years, though they had yet to actively engage them as of April.

That could be changing, as the Department of Defense (DoD) recently indicated they may soon be deploying aerial countermeasures to combat the cartels’ use of drones. The DoD is “preparing the path for employment of [counter-small uncrewed aerial system or CsUAS] activities along the border,” acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense and Hemispheric Affairs Mark Ditlevson told Defense Scoop in April.

“As we address these threats and consider using our own drone technology, we must prioritize Americans’ privacy and maintain transparency about the threats along our border,” Lankford concluded.

“Drone technology is rapidly evolving, and in the wrong hands, it can pose risks to our national security,” Sen. Kelly told the Caller.

“With this bill, we’re working to stay ahead of that threat, keeping Arizona families and our country safe,” Kelly concluded.

Lankford previously introduced the Protecting the Border from Unmanned Aircraft Systems Act in 2023 to require various federal agencies to collaborate “for a unified posture on counter-unmanned aircraft systems capabilities and protections at certain facilities at or near a U.S. international border.”

AUTHOR

Robert McGreevy

Reporter.

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