SAN DIEGO (KSWB) — Border patrol agents found a drone Sunday with a kilo of meth taped to it on top of a business in San Ysidro, a San Diego district just north of the border with Mexico.
Chief Patrol Agent Aaron M. Heitke shared photos of the drone and drugs on Twitter. He said someone called Border Patrol to report a drone crashed on the roof of a business close to the border.
Nexstar’s KSWB talked with Border Patrol agents in January about an increasing number of drones seen flying over homes in San Ysidro.
“I see them all the time,” one neighbor said. “I also see people in cars that just sit there for hours, it looks strange.”
Agents said using drones to smuggle drugs isn’t uncommon, but they’re seeing a slight uptick in recent months.
“They are using the cover of night mostly to smuggle illegal contraband into the U.S.,” Agent Justin Castrejon said.
The illegal cargo can be cocaine, meth and other substances. Border Patrol is asking residents to report any sightings, in the sky and on their streets.