() The U.S. military is expanding its role at the Southern border, and that includes the use of technology designed to detect aerial threats.
The Department of Defense is sealing off key stretches of the border with high-tech radar systems, national correspondent Jorge Ventura reports.
The move comes as drone activity launched by Mexican cartels has become a growing concern for Border Patrol agents and local law enforcement. Some drones have even been equipped with explosives, raising threat levels for agents on the ground.
In 2023, one sector alone recorded more than 10,000 drone incursions from Mexico into the U.S.
Near Rio Grande City, soldiers are operating the AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar system to detect drones and unmanned surveillance threats coming from Mexico.
The Sentinel system mounted on a mobile platform can be remotely positioned and is able to alert front-line air defense when it detects hostile aircraft, drones, helicopters or missiles.
It’s a 3-D radar, tracking an object’s range, bearing and elevation.
In March, U.S. troops also deployed the AN/TPQ-53 radar system, a multi-mission radar that detects mortars, rockets, artillery, and low-flying threats, including cartel drones.
This system can also pinpoint the origin of attacks, giving law enforcement real-time intelligence on where drone launches are happening.
The Defense Department says both radar systems are part of broader efforts to enhance border security and directly respond to increased cartel drone activity.
Last month, a 170-mile stretch of federal land along the New Mexico border was officially transferred to the Department of Defense, creating what’s now known as a National Defense Area.
As part of the military’s expanding enforcement role, soldiers with Joint Task Force-Southern Border placed 150 warning signs over a more than 18-mile stretch near Clint, Texas.
Enforcement is already underway. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has said anyone crossing into this restricted zone will be detained by U.S. troops.
Officials say this is part of a broader push to close off corridors long exploited by smugglers and criminal groups and to enforce the military perimeter with zero tolerance.
