‘Over 1,000’ drone incursions per month at southern border — smugglers are ‘trying to find gaps’: Air Force general

Air Force General Gregory Guillot told the Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that there are “over 1,000” drone incursions per month at the southern border, the New York Post reported.

Guillot, the commander of North American Defense Command, called the uptick in drone encounters “alarming.”

“The number of incursions was something that was alarming to me as I took command last month,” he told senators on Thursday.

When asked how many drones are flying into United States airspace near the southern border, he replied that no one knows precisely.

“I don’t know the actual number. I don’t think anybody does, but it’s in the thousands,” Guillot continued.

He claimed that the United States Customs and Border Protection would “put the number at thousands” over approximately a one-month period.

“Probably have over 1,000 a month,” he declared.

Senators asked Guillot whether the incursions over the southern border presented a defense threat, and he responded, “They alarm me.”

“I haven’t seen any of them manifest in a threat to the level of national defense, but I see the potential only growing,” he said.

According to Guillot, most of the unmanned drones flying near the southern border are operated by “spotters” who are “trying to find gaps” to sneak past law enforcement agents.

“There’s a smaller number [of drones] that are probably moving narcotics across the border,” Guillot remarked.

He also noted that some of the drone activity at the southern border is the federal government attempting to monitor illegal activity.

During the hearing, Guillot addressed the influx of Chinese nationals illegally crossing into the United States, stating that it is “a big concern” of his.

“What concerns me most about specifically the Chinese migrants is, one, that they’re so centralized and in one location across on the border. And, two, is — while many may be political refugees and other explanations — the ability for counter intelligence to hide in plain sight in those numbers,” Guillot told the committee.

He also explained that he is concerned that the waves of migrants coming over the border “seem to be coordinated and command and controlled using social media.” Mexican cartels are using social media to “drive the migrants to areas where [Border Patrol agents] might not be,” he added.

CBP officials have noted that the cartels are using small drones to track the locations of Border Patrol agents in an effort to sneak their smuggling operations past law enforcement, the Post reported.

Last year, Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez informed the House Oversight Committee that more than 10,000 drone incursions and 25,000 drone sightings were reported over one year.

“We have made great progress in countering the threat of small, unmanned platforms,” Chavez stated. “However, the adversaries have 17 times the number of drones, twice the amount of flight hours, and unlimited funding to grow their operations.”

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