SAN DIEGO () Police in Tijuana, Mexico, have deployed a specialized drone unit equipped with artificial intelligence and thermal imaging to combat one of the world’s most dangerous threats: drug cartels battling for smuggling routes along the U.S.-Mexico border.

headed across the border to see the unit, led by Commander Fernando Silvia, which operates 14 high-tech drones that can reach crime scenes in under two minutes. The drones provide real-time aerial surveillance that police say is saving officers’ lives in a city plagued by violence.

Tijuana, a border metropolis of more than 2 million people, records more than 2,000 homicides annually as rival cartels fight for control of lucrative drug trafficking routes into the United States.

The drones are outfitted with thermal imaging, night vision and real-time video transmission capabilities, allowing officers in a command center to monitor situations before arriving on scene. The technology has proven especially crucial when responding to incidents involving armed cartel operatives.

Drones deploy in under 2 minutes with thermal imaging, night vision

“When the criminal is lost sight of, the drone can keep maintaining sight,” Silvia told . “We’ve had many successful cases where a criminal is hiding, or some suspect is running, throwing weapons or something, and the drone sees them.”

During a demonstration, officers tracked a suspect attempting to evade authorities through the drone’s live feed. The aerial unit relayed the suspect’s location to ground units, leading to an arrest. In the footage, the suspect appeared to ditch evidence before officers moved in.

The drones don’t just respond to active crime scenes. Police use them to patrol dangerous neighborhoods from the air, minimizing risks to officers while gathering intelligence on criminal networks.

“Although the officers on the ground can’t see, with the help of the drone, we’ve been able to capture the evidence as well as the criminal,” Silvia said. “There have been situations where they hide on rooftops, lying there waiting for the police to pass, and the drone sees them.”

Unit sees success; other Mexican cities may adopt the program

The technology is a modernized effort for Tijuana law enforcement as they battle some of Mexico’s most powerful cartels. Police officials say the drone unit has led to a surge in arrests.

Meanwhile, on the U.S. side of the border, American authorities are deploying AI-programmed drones to locate drug traffickers and migrants. Cartels have also adopted drone technology to identify smuggling routes.

Tijuana police plan to expand their drone fleet in the coming months. Officials say the program’s success could serve as a model for other Mexican cities confronting organized crime.

This comes as President Donald Trump declared Thursday that drug cartels are “unlawful” combatants and says the United States is now in a “noninternational armed conflict” after recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean.