DOT, Department of War and DHS Impose Drone Flight Restriction Along the U.S.-Mexico Border, Effective Immediately
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Department of War and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on October 16 issued a joint statement imposing a temporary flight restriction (TFR) on drones along the U.S.-Mexico border, effective immediately: unauthorized drone activity is barred from the surface to 400 feet (about 122 meters) above ground level, extending one nautical mile north of the border.
The departments said the measure will reduce risks to ongoing border security operations, protect federal personnel and facilities, and enhance enforcement against violators. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will publish a Notice to Airmen with the restriction details, and drone operators are responsible for reviewing all applicable notices before flying. Pentagon officials say there are more than 1,000 drone incursions along the U.S.-Mexico border each month, and U.S. security officials have grown increasingly alarmed about cartels using drones to drop drug packages and surveil trafficking routes.
"President Trump promised to secure the Southern Border, and he did. Now we're doubling down on that promise by protecting our skies from cartel drone threats and other illicit activities," said Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said restricting unauthorized drone activity gives commanders "greater awareness, greater decision space, and more options to defend the homeland," adding that U.S. forces "will shoot down any cartel drone that threatens America's sovereignty." Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the action "will help counter cartel drone threats, protect our personnel, and strengthen security in the airspace above the border." (GSM, via the departments' October 16 joint statement and Reuters)
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 边境巡逻队在空中与海上行动办公室（AMO）支援下执行边境任务（资料图，美国海关与边境保护局 CBP 官方照片，公共领域，via Wikimedia Commons）
