A senior Pentagon official revealed that there are an “alarming” number of drone attacks every month on the United States’ border with Mexico.
General Gregory Guillot, the commander of the U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command, said the incursions could number in the “thousands” as he spoke on the disturbing facts during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Thursday.
Guillot was being questioned by Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C. when he disclosed the information and his personal reaction.
“The number of incursions was something that was alarming to me as I took command last month,” he told the senator. “I don’t know the actual number – I don’t think anybody does – but it’s in the thousands.”
“I’ve talked to Customs and Border Protection, who are responsible for the UAS incursions on the border, along with DOJ. And they put the number at thousands,” he added.
Budd asked what period of time the commander was referring to in citing “thousands” of drone attacks.”
“I would say in probably over a month we could probably have over 1,000 a month,” Guillot replied.
The general acknowledged the national security threat and believed the number could increase, saying, “But I see the potential only growing.”
But he noted there was currently no danger to the U.S. homeland. He did, however, bring up concerns over the number of Chinese nationals who illegally cross the U.S. border from South America.
“The number of Chinese that are coming across the border is a big concern of mine. In fact, in the short period of time that I’ve been in command, I’ve gone down to the southern border to talk to the agents and leadership about that. And then I’ve also spoken with the acting commissioner of the CBP on this subject,” Guillot told the Senate committee.
“What concerns me most about specifically the Chinese migrants is – one, that they’re so centralized in one location on the border. And two, is while many may be political refugees, other explanations, the ability for counterintelligence to hide in plain sight in those numbers,” he added.
He pointed out that “frequent briefings” have been held at headquarters as intelligence agencies share information on the “disposition” of the Chinese nationals apprehended at the southern border.
At a Congressional hearing last year, Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Patrol Agent Gloria Chavez testified that there were more than 10,000 drone incursions and 25,000 drone sightings reported in her sector in just one year.
“The adversaries have 17 times the number of drones, twice the amount of flight hours and unlimited funding to grow their operations,” Chavez told the House Oversight Committee in February 2023.
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Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida. Powers also contributes to BizPac Review.
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