Cárteles Unidos / Tepalcatepec Cartel Recruiting Colombians to Operate Drug-Trafficking Surveillance Drones in Michoacán

Reporting by Milenio published April 14–15 documents how the Tepalcatepec Cartel (under Cárteles Unidos leader 'El Abuelo') is recruiting Colombian nationals with military experience under false pretenses for drone operations in Michoacán's Tierra Caliente. A Colombian national who testified gave the following account: his passport was confiscated upon arrival in Mexico; he was assigned to operate surveillance drones over drug-trafficking airstrips near Apatzingán; he deserted after two months without pay. Michoacán authorities have detained 78 South Americans — including 34 Colombians — for cartel recruitment or explosives training since 2025. The operation illustrates how CJNG's rivals are matching the cartel's technological approach to aerial surveillance following CJNG's own drone warfare campaigns in Guanajuato (2021) and Tepalcatepec (2021). CJNG-aligned factions in the region have responded to this drone escalation with their own countermeasures, driving a low-altitude aerial arms race in Tierra Caliente relevant to the ongoing CJNG-Los Viagras conflict.