Pentagon Announces 94% Drop in Illegal Border Crossing From Mexico

The Pentagon has reported a 94% decrease in illegal border crossings from Mexico following a series of executive actions, troop deployments and legal measures introduced since President Donald J. Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025.

The administration launched an extensive border security operation, declaring Mexican cartels as foreign terrorist organizations and deploying thousands of U.S. troops along the southern border. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth oversaw a military surge that increased active-duty forces to approximately 9,000, alongside 2,500 reservists, providing logistical and aerial support to Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

Military units equipped with Stryker armored vehicles, Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters have been reinforcing physical barriers, conducting surveillance and assisting interdiction efforts. These measures, combined with Mexico’s deployment of 10,000 troops to its side of the border, have significantly reduced unlawful crossings.

On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order designating cartels as terrorist groups, allowing law enforcement to pursue terrorism charges against their leaders. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Department of Justice directive further accelerated these efforts by streamlining the process for obtaining terrorism-related warrants and authorizing harsher penalties.

Additionally, the administration halted asylum claims for illegal entrants, revoked Biden-era policies and introduced a policy requiring all criminal migrants to be detained rather than released into the U.S. interior. As a result, only two migrants have been released from custody since Jan. 20, 2025, both serving as witnesses in criminal cases.

The first detainees, including 10 members of the newly designated Tren de Aragua terrorist group, arrived at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Feb. 5, 2025, under the administration’s revised detention policies.

Meanwhile, Congress is considering additional legislation to strengthen border enforcement and combat the fentanyl crisis. The Halt Fentanyl Act, passed by the House on Feb. 9, 2025, aims to permanently classify fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs, while proposed measures seek to designate large-scale fentanyl trafficking as a weapon of mass destruction.

Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks reported that daily apprehensions have dropped from 4,800 to 285 since the administration implemented its new security framework. He attributed the decline to the administration’s deterrence strategy, which includes military support, greater penalties and state-level initiatives such as deputizing Texas National Guard soldiers as immigration officers.

The administration has stated that it will continue expanding its border security measures, with officials emphasizing the goal of achieving “100% operational control” over the U.S.-Mexico border.