The land along the southern border will be under increased military observation, providing more leverage for security operations.
U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) said on Monday that military personnel can now carry out security support operations on a strip of land recently transferred to the Army’s control, strengthening measures against trespassing by illegal immigrants.
On April 15, the Interior Department announced the handover of nearly 110,000 acres of federal land along the U.S.–Mexico border to the Army for a three-year period. The transfer occurred after a memorandum was issued by President Donald Trump on April 11, which authorized the military to take control of the land in a bid to counter illegal immigration and drug trafficking.
On April 21, USNORTHCOM announced that a 60-foot-wide portion of land, known as the New Mexico National Defense Area (NMNDA), has been added to the U.S. Army’s Fort Huachuca installation. The land covers parts of California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
As such, service members operating in NMNDA are now authorized to carry out several security support operations.
This includes temporarily detaining trespassers until law enforcement authorities take custody of them, searching for trespassers, and implementing crowd control measures to ensure the safety of service members and Department of Defense (DOD) property.
On request, military personnel can also assist with installing temporary barriers, signage, and fencing activities.
“Through these enhanced authorities, U.S. Northern Command will ensure those who illegally trespass in the New Mexico National Defense Area are handed over to Customs and Border Protection or our other law enforcement partners,” Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of U.S. Northern Command, said in a statement.
“Joint Task Force-Southern Border will conduct enhanced detection and monitoring, which will include vehicle and foot patrols, rotary wing, and fixed surveillance site operations.”
USNORTHCOM is tasked with planning, organizing, and executing homeland defense and civil support missions.
More than 10,000 service members have been deployed along the southern border to boost the roughly 2,500 personnel already in place to support the Customs and Border Protection.
“DoD keeps delivering for the American people. President Trump said to LOCK-DOWN the border—and we are,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an April 22 post on social media platform X.
