Washington, D.C., April 18, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has taken a significant step in bolstering border security through a new interagency land transfer, while also honoring a national hero and deepening international military ties.
As part of a National Security Presidential Memorandum signed by President Donald J. Trump, jurisdiction over 170 square miles of federal land along the New Mexico–Mexico border has been officially transferred to the U.S. military. This move allows the DOD to support U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) more effectively by turning the land into a National Defense Area, giving troops enhanced authority to safeguard the region and manage access similar to a military base.
“Border security is national security,” emphasized Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell in the department’s weekly “Sitrep” update. He noted the shift enables service members to carry out duties including detaining trespassers and coordinating with federal law enforcement.
In a heartwarming moment this week, Marine and Medal of Honor recipient Dakota Meyer rejoined the Marine Corps Reserves, 15 years after his initial service. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth administered his oath at the Pentagon, praising Meyer’s courage and decision to return to uniform under current leadership.
Meyer, awarded the Medal of Honor for valor in Afghanistan in 2009, said his motivation to serve remains unchanged: “I’ve got more to give.”
In international relations, Secretary Hegseth held strategic defense meetings with El Salvador’s Defense Minister René Francis Merino Monroy and France’s Armed Forces Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Discussions focused on increasing defense budgets, NATO’s role in Europe, and collaborative efforts to restore peace in Ukraine. Hegseth lauded El Salvador’s fight against organized crime, calling it “a model for the hemisphere,” and emphasized the need
PRESS UPDATE