Story highlights U.S. remains "vigilant against emerging trends and ever-changing tactics" by smugglers

A drone is overloaded with six pounds of synthetic crystal meth worth $48,000

It crashes in a Tijuana supermarket parking lot before it can reach U.S.

(CNN) A smuggler's drone flying from Mexico crash-landed just south of the U.S. border city of San Ysidro, California, in a failed drug delivery this week, Tijuana Municipal Police said.

The incident showed that smugglers aren't just going underground anymore -- using tunnels beneath the U.S.-Mexico border to transport drugs and migrants.

Now, the smugglers are trying to do business using unmanned aerial vehicles.

U.S. authorities acknowledge a new smuggling strategy may be emerging on the border.

"To date, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has not intercepted any drones smuggling narcotics across the borders into the United States," said Alberto Vallina, supervisory Border Patrol agent in San Diego. "In collaboration with our federal, state, local and international law enforcement partners, CBP remains vigilant against emerging trends and ever-changing tactics employed by transnational criminal organizations behind illegal attempts to smuggle narcotics into the U.S."

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