Mexican Authorities Seize Drug Cartel Surveillance Cameras at Border

Mexican Authorities discovered 24 cartel surveillance cameras in San Luis Rio Colorado, highlighting ongoing drug violence near the U.S. border.

In a big operation, Mexican cops announced they found and took down 24 hidden cameras set up by drug gangs in the border town of San Luis Rio Colorado.

This town, right next to Arizona, has been dealing with a lot of fighting between drug groups trying to control the best smuggling paths.

The police from the north of Sonora state said these cameras, which were secretly put on telephone poles and streetlights, were used by “falcons,” a nickname for cartel watchers in Mexico who keep an eye on cops and soldiers.

The Army quickly got rid of the cameras, which looked like regular porch cameras but were hidden with duct tape.

They were found in three different areas and even stuck to palm trees, showing just how bold the drug gangs were about spying on people.

San Luis Rio Colorado, a popular spot for Americans looking for cheap drugs and dental work, has seen a big increase in violence from drug gangs in recent years.

This latest discovery points to a bigger problem: this isn’t the first time drug gangs have set up their own spying systems.

Back in 2015, a drug group in the north of Tamaulipas put out at least 39 cameras in Reynosa, right across from McAllen, Texas.

These high-tech cameras were hooked up to the city’s power and internet, letting the group watch over cops, soldiers, and even people in government buildings, shopping areas, and neighborhoods.

Also in 2015, the cops found 55 radio antennas between the border cities of Matamoros and Miguel Aleman, showing just how deep and organized these drug gangs are.

As the fight gets tougher and more violence happens, this latest discovery highlights the struggle to keep up with the ever-changing ways these drug groups operate along the U.S.-Mexico border.