The article doesn't describe how the balloons are controlled or tracked, but it seems inevitable that the combination of advances in electronics, cryptocurrence

The article doesn't describe how the balloons are controlled or tracked, but it seems inevitable that the combination of advances in electronics, cryptocurrences, and new tariffs will make smuggling of all kinds explode over the next few years, by air, by water, and even by land. You could see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Spiderweb https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Spiderweb as a kind of smuggling, the kind where the recipient of the shipment doesn't want it.