President Donald Trump’s Department of Defense is creating two new military zones along the southern border between the United States and Mexico.
According to The New York Times, two Defense Department officials said that the Pentagon is establishing new military zones in Texas and Arizona. The Texas military zone will be part of the Marine Corps Air Station, which is located in Yuma, and the Arizona military zone will be part of Joint Base San Antonio, according to the outlet.
A defense official confirmed The New York Times report in a statement to The Hill. The anonymous defense official explained that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth instructed the secretaries of the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to “take necessary action to establish National Defense Areas along the U.S.-Mexico border.”
The defense official added, “DoD’s new jurisdiction over these stretches of land and river will enhance the authority of the Department to secure the U.S. southern border from unlawful entry and to maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States.”
In a Wednesday press release, the Air Force said it will now oversee a National Defense Area spanning roughly 250 miles of the Rio Grande River in Texas’ Hidalgo and Cameron Counties.
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“Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) service members, under the direction of USNORTHCOM, will operate within the NDA,” the Air Force stated. “Their responsibilities include enhanced detection and monitoring through stationary positions and mobile patrols, temporarily detaining trespassers until they are transferred to the appropriate law enforcement authorities, and supporting the installation of temporary barriers, and signage to secure the area.”
The Air Force explained that the new National Defense Area is the “latest in a series” of military zones created to “strengthen interagency coordination and bolster security operations along the U.S. southern border.” The Air Force noted that the Defense Department previously established National Defense Areas in Texas and New Mexico as part of U.S. Northern Command’s “whole-of-government approach to homeland defense.”
According to the press release, the first National Defense Area was created in New Mexico on April 21 and includes roughly 170 miles of land as part of an extension of Fort Huachuca, while a second National Defense Area was created in West Texas on May 1 and includes roughly 63 miles of land as part of an extension of Fort Bliss.
“These efforts reflect USNORTHCOM’s ongoing mission as the DoD’s operational lead for homeland defense, ensuring the territorial integrity of the United States’ southern border,” the Air Force concluded.
