The US Army and Mexican Army have signed a declaration of intent that enables Mexico to procure uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS) systems from the US defence department’s digital marketplace to fight transnational organised crime and drug cartels.
Organised crime groups increasingly deploy drones for real-time monitoring of US border patrols and to traffic small loads of synthetic illicit drugs from Mexico. US intelligence has also found that cartels have begun to equip drones with improvised explosive devices, escalating the threat.
The declaration is non-binding and the Mexican Ministry of Defence has not committed to any purchase quantities or other specifics. Ultimately, the declaration serves as a procurement framework or ‘pre-clearance’ for Mexico to use the marketplace. The platform is designed to help users identify the systems they require.
The Netherlands signed a participation agreement for the marketplace at Eurosatory in June and at least 20 allied countries are said to have signed up so far, with the US Army predicting 40 participants by Q4.
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Image: Mexico border wall near San Diego, Calif., 18 August 2025. CBP Photo by Jaime Rodriguez
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