Border Patrol Bets on Small Drones to Expand US Surveillance Reach
US Customs and Border Protection is quietly doubling down on a surveillance strategy built around human-portable drones, according to federal contracting records reviewed by WIRED. The shift is pushing border enforcement toward a distributed system that can track activity in real time and, critics warn, may extend well beyond the border.
New market research conducted this month shows that, rather than relying on larger, centralized drone platforms, CBP is concentrating on lightweight uncrewed aircraft that can be launched quickly by small teams, remain operational under environmental stress, and relay surveillance data directly to frontline units. The documents emphasize portability, fast setup, and integration with equipment already used by border patrol.
Those requirements build on earlier inquiries that show CBP steadily locking in its operational priorities: drones capable of detecting movement in remote terrain, rapidly cueing agents with coordinates, and functioning reliably in heat, dust, and high winds. Past requests highlighted the integration of cameras, infrared sensors, and mapping software to help agents locate and intercept targeted people across deserts, rivers, and coastal corridors.
CBP previously zeroed in on vertical-takeoff and -landing drones small enough to be carried and launched by individual teams, while setting clear benchmarks for flight time, deployment speed, and performance in austere environments. The requests also made clear that these systems were meant to do more than observe. They were expected to actively guide operations, piping live location data into the same digital tools agents use to coordinate responses in the field.
This month’s update sharpens that approach, signaling that CBP is no longer merely exploring what drones can do but refining what it wants them to do well: deploy fast, survive longer, and deliver actionable intel directly to human agents. CBP currently operates a small-drone fleet of roughly 500 uncrewed systems, according to the Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting, underscoring that these aircraft have become a routine part of border enforcement.
At a House Homeland Security Committee hearing in December, Department of Homeland Security secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers that DHS has been “investing upwards to $1.5 billion” in drone and counter-drone technology and “mitigation measures” that can be used not only for federally secured special events, such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but also through agreements that let DHS “partner with cities and states” on protection they “don’t currently have.”
The growing emphasis on small, unit-level drones does not mean CBP is abandoning larger aircraft, however, despite years of scrutiny over the agency’s reliance on military-grade systems.
