EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) — The Trump administration has established a third National Defense Area along the U.S.-Mexico border, and a fourth could already be in the works.
The United States Air Force announced last Wednesday that it had been directed to manage 250 miles of the South Texas border, specifically in Cameron and Hidalgo counties. The area will be an extension of Joint Base San Antonio.
The first NDA established in New Mexico in April spans approximately 170 miles and is an extension of Fort Huachuca, Arizona. The second NDA, an extension of Fort Bliss, Texas, was designated May 1 and covers approximately 63 miles of noncontiguous land between El Paso and Fort Hancock.
According to several reports, the Pentagon is considering establishing a fourth NDA in the Yuma area of Arizona. According to CNN, the new NDA would be attached to Marine Corps Air Station-Yuma and would extend over 100 miles along the border.
In this episode of Border Report Live, correspondents Salvador Rivera and Sandra Sanchez and host Rudy Mireles discuss the continued militarization of the border and the response from local leaders.
According to a news release from the Air Force, the responsibilities of service members 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.”
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In addition to new NDAs, the Marine Corps has also expanded its presence on the border in California. Active-duty Marines have moved from the coast to the U.S. Border Patrol Station in Campo, California, in a remote area of southeastern San Diego County.
The troops are staying just over a mile north of the border and a few miles east of the Mexican border city of Tecate.
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