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.
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![The Next Big ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Set Is a Multiverse Adventure
Magic: The Gathering will continue expanding this year—both for fans of its crossover sets, and those all in on the primary game. At Friday’s Magic Con, Wizards of the Coast announced several new sets, with the main course being Reality Fracture. Releasing in October, the set will wrap up the game’s current arc wherein Planeswalker Jace has created an alternate universe so he can undo damage previously caused by the Phyrexians and Eldrazi. The Echoverse introduces new versions of popular Magic characters, like Chandra having ice magic rather than her usual fire. Fracture’s creative and narrative lead Meris Mullaley told Polygon the new versions of Chandra and other mainstays like Ajani and Garruk are born from Jace’s goal to make “the perfect multiverse, [which] comes with some of his own biases. Chandra’s impulsiveness was something he bumped up against a lot. Where did that come from, what in her life shaped her to be that way? As Jace is crafting his multiverse, he’s like, ‘What if her dad didn’t die? What if he and Chandra were helping run Avishkar?’” On the crossover front, Wizards is going back to Middle-earth with a Hobbit set for Magic: The Gathering. Following the Lord of the Rings set from 2023, the characters and locations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel will get their own cards, with legacy characters like Gandalf and Bilbo receiving updates. If that weren’t enough, some cards have artwork similar to book covers, and others are done in the dwarven language. Wizards of the Coast will bring The Hobbit to Magic: The Gathering on August 14, and Reality Fracture will hit stores on October 2. You can read about Wizards’ upcoming, fully new game Mood Swings here. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Big #Magic #Gathering #Set #Multiverse #AdventureMagic: The Gathering,The Hobbit,Wizards of the Coast The Next Big ‘Magic: The Gathering’ Set Is a Multiverse Adventure
Magic: The Gathering will continue expanding this year—both for fans of its crossover sets, and those all in on the primary game. At Friday’s Magic Con, Wizards of the Coast announced several new sets, with the main course being Reality Fracture. Releasing in October, the set will wrap up the game’s current arc wherein Planeswalker Jace has created an alternate universe so he can undo damage previously caused by the Phyrexians and Eldrazi. The Echoverse introduces new versions of popular Magic characters, like Chandra having ice magic rather than her usual fire. Fracture’s creative and narrative lead Meris Mullaley told Polygon the new versions of Chandra and other mainstays like Ajani and Garruk are born from Jace’s goal to make “the perfect multiverse, [which] comes with some of his own biases. Chandra’s impulsiveness was something he bumped up against a lot. Where did that come from, what in her life shaped her to be that way? As Jace is crafting his multiverse, he’s like, ‘What if her dad didn’t die? What if he and Chandra were helping run Avishkar?’” On the crossover front, Wizards is going back to Middle-earth with a Hobbit set for Magic: The Gathering. Following the Lord of the Rings set from 2023, the characters and locations of J.R.R. Tolkien’s prequel will get their own cards, with legacy characters like Gandalf and Bilbo receiving updates. If that weren’t enough, some cards have artwork similar to book covers, and others are done in the dwarven language. Wizards of the Coast will bring The Hobbit to Magic: The Gathering on August 14, and Reality Fracture will hit stores on October 2. You can read about Wizards’ upcoming, fully new game Mood Swings here. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who. #Big #Magic #Gathering #Set #Multiverse #AdventureMagic: The Gathering,The Hobbit,Wizards of the Coast](https://gizmodo.com/app/uploads/2026/05/magic-gathering-reality-1280x853.jpg)
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