Military Contractors Operate Surveillance Flights Over U.S. Southern Border Amid Secrecy Concerns

Private military contractor Metrea has operated two surveillance-equipped aircraft along the U.S.-Mexico border for months, circling high-altitude loops over cities in Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas including Bisbee, Douglas, Laredo, and El Paso. The planes carry advanced signals intelligence gear such as the DRT 3300 'dirtbox' device, which mimics cell towers to track phones, alongside systems like Windjammer for broader electronic intercepts.

The Arizona Mirror obtained FAA documents detailing the equipment and flight paths, confirming operations since at least February 2026. Metrea, which holds a $5.7 million U.S. Special Operations Command training contract and conducts Marine Corps simulations, performs similar border surveillance for Australia's Department of Home Affairs and Border Force using advanced aircraft. A second contractor, Tenax Aerospace, has flown comparable routes with high-end mapping technology.

The Pentagon declined to discuss specific contractor missions, citing operational security, while noting activities follow Attorney General-approved procedures protecting U.S. citizens' rights. DHS confirmed its components (ICE, HSI, CBP) were not involved. Civil liberties groups, including the ACLU, highlight risks of unchecked mass surveillance enabled by new technology, calling for transparency policies regardless of security justifications.

These flights occur against a backdrop of Metrea's expanding border security work, including recent Australian contracts and European testing, raising questions about the scale of contractor-led intelligence collection over domestic airspace.