| Lots of photos, maps, etc. |
Tracking data captured the US Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft taking off from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska on Monday, flying southwest to California.
The Rivet Joint then headed south along the western coast of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico, moved north into the Gulf of California, and returned to base on Tuesday.
The aircraft appeared to stay in international airspace while operating near Mexico. It did not reach the end of the Gulf that is blocked by Mexico's territorial sea.
However, the area falls under the influence of the Sinaloa Cartel, a large and notorious drug trafficking organization.
US-Mexico relations have remained strained due to continued drug smuggling and illegal immigration into the US.
The flight has sparked speculations from the military collecting communications to US officials sending a message after Trump agreed to a 30-day pause on his tariff threats against Mexico, allowing time for the country to secure its borders.
An official told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the US was using the RC-135 to conduct 'ISR flights,' which gather information to support military operations off the coast of Mexico.
It's not yet clear exactly what the purpose of the flight was, but The War Zone speculated that the spy plane may be able to detect and intercept communications in the northwestern territory of Mexico.
The US Air Force describes the spy plane as supporting 'theater and national level consumers with near real time on-scene intelligence collection, analysis and dissemination capabilities.'
The interior seats more than 30 people, including the cockpit crew, electronic warfare officers, intelligence operators and in-flight maintenance technicians.
It was designed to 'detect, identify and geolocate signals,' and provides on-the-spot intelligence collection, analysis, and dissemination capabilities.
When the Pentagon first announced the deportation flights on January 22, a senior military official suggested that high-end intelligence-gathering aircraft (like the RC-135) could be involved.
'There could be some additional airborne intelligence surveillance support assets that would move down to the border to increase situational awareness,' the official said.
But the flight map captured the aircraft soaring over Sinaloa Cartel territory, adding more mystery to the mission.
The Sinaloa Cartel is considered one of the largest and most powerful drug trafficking organizations in the Western Hemisphere, primarily involved with trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and heroin into the US.
| Courtesy of NoMoreBS, The War Zone points out that the plane flew two sorties, and has all sorts of what looks to be very technical information that should interest those of you who understand such things. |
