Internal CBP memo warns agents of new threats from Mexican cartels: Reports

• Internal memos are reportedly warning U.S. Border Patrol agents that Mexican drug cartels have authorized the use of kamikaze drones and explosives to target agents. The U.S. Customs and Border Protection memos caution agents to remain vigilant and equipped for potential threats.
• One memo also highlights social media posts encouraging violence against ICE officers.
• These warnings come as the Trump administration intensifies efforts to secure the border. His actions include mass deportations and the designation of cartels as terrorist organizations.

Internal memos reviewed by NewsNation and The New York Post warn U.S. Border Patrol agents that Mexican drug cartels have authorized the use of kamikaze drones and explosives to target agents and other U.S. law enforcement at the southern U.S. border.

The outlets cite internal memos from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials highlighting potential threats in response to the Trump administration’s high-profile stance on border security.

One memo, titled “Officer Safety Alert,” cautions federal agents to “remain cognizant of their surroundings at all times.”

“On February 1, 2025, the El Paso Sector Intelligence and Operations Center (EPT-IOC) received information advising that Mexican cartel leaders have authorized the deployment of drones equipped with explosives to be used against U.S. Border Patrol agents and U.S. military personnel currently working along the border with Mexico,” the memo states.

The memo also urges border agents to report drone sightings and carry proper equipment, such as first aid kits, tourniquets and body armor.

One of the memos cites social media posts, including one encouraging people to kill ICE officers. A TikTok video also tells immigrants living in the U.S. illegally to spit and urinate on federal agents’ food and defecate in their vehicles.

Last week, the Texas Department of Public Safety confirmed that border agents in Fronton Island, Texas, were shot at from the Mexican side of the U.S.-southern border.

On Jan. 20, Trump signed an executive order designating the cartels as terrorist organizations. The CBP memos come as the Trump administration takes action to mitigate the flow of migrants and fentanyl from crossing the border.

The Trump administration has promised mass deportations of migrants living in the U.S. illegally. Since Trump’s inauguration, federal immigration agents have arrested 8,276 migrants lacking proper paperwork, according to numbers the agency posted on X.

Over the weekend, Trump signed an executive order imposing tariffs on goods from Mexico and Canada. He says the countries were not doing enough to stop migrants and illicit drugs from pouring into the U.S.

However, those deals are currently delayed. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has promised to send an additional 10,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has also committed to providing more resources for fighting fentanyl and classifying cartels as terrorists.