The CIA under President Donald Trump has been covertly flying MQ9 Reaper drones over Mexico to spy on drug cartels, current and former officials familiar with the matter told CNN, part of Trump’s dramatic reorientation of national security assets to the US southern border.

The United States has stepped up secret drone flights over Mexico to hunt for fentanyl labs, part of the Trump administration’s more aggressive campaign against drug cartels, according to U.S. officials.

The CIA has sent drones on secret missions over Mexico to spy on drug cartels — and may use them for armed strikes, according to former and current officials. The covert missions, carried out with MQ-9 Reaper drones,

To combat drug cartels, the CIA is ramping up secret drone flights over Mexico, The New York Times reported Tuesday. This “covert” drone program began under the Biden administration and has not previously been disclosed,