Securing The Nation: US Military Finally Takes Charge Of Border Defense Against Illegals Invasion

PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEF (PDB) – Trump team plans for DOD to take control of a 60 foot deep buffer zone along a sprawling stretch of the southern border in New Mexico and empower active-duty US troops to temporarily hold illegal border crossers.

If enacted, miles of buffer zone would become a temporary military installation, giving U.S. troops their most direct role yet in the president’s enforcement mission.

Pentagon officials are examining whether there could be legal issues from U.S. troops temporarily holding illegal border crossers when border agents are not immediately available to arrest them.

But, by militarizing the buffer zone, the theory goes, any migrant apprehensions made by service members would be akin to catching trespassers on a military base: The troops involved would simply hold them until law enforcement arrives.

If the plan is approved, and it is deemed successful, the military-controlled buffer zone eventually could stretch west to California.

🚨Heavily armed United States Marines have landed at the southern border to assist Border Patrol

One of the only times we’ve ever seen American troops defending *American* borders pic.twitter.com/ae1EjkvNpA

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) January 24, 2025

Meanwhile, the Navy plans to send a second warship to patrol the waters off the US coast and near Mexico by the end of this week after another destroyer was deployed on Saturday. (RELATED: Pentagon Makes Huge Advance To Southern Border)

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here’s a roundup of today’s other top defense stories ending the week from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.

Not the President’s Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL’S DEFENSE BRIEFING – the PDB:    

NATIONAL SECURITY

The GOP chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services ‘very concerned’ over report of Trump drastically changing its military combatant command structure, saying they “will not accept” those changes without coordination with Congress and other agencies.

Some US national security agencies have halted work on a coordinated effort to counter Russian sabotage, disinformation and cyberattacks, easing pressure on Moscow as Trump pushes Putin to end its war in Ukraine.

Canada and Europe are questioning whether big-ticket purchases of high-end US weaponry, such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, are still a wise strategic choice for Western countries dependent on US defense technology.

HOMELAND SECURITY

Pentagon reviews plans to cut troops handling illegal aliens at Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba by as much as half, likely because there are no detainees there now and the program has stumbled during legal challenges. (RELATED: Pentagon Shake-Up: Consequential Agency Closed Amid Rising Threats)

POLITICS

Lawmakers are trying again to pass legislation that would give 50,000 medically retired service members full access to both their military retirement pay and disability compensation from the VA.

PENTAGON WOKE WATCH

Extracurricular clubs at DOD schools, such as Black Student Union and Pride, disbanded following executive orders targeting DEI initiatives, are now being allowed to exist if they’re organized by students and don’t include paid personnel.

US POWER OVERSEAS

A multinational force, including US Marines, is preparing for a “full battle test” involving 16,000 troops during this year’s Balikatan exercise in the Philippines.

The US Air Force is testing major capabilities and concepts—F-35s, Air Task Forces, and Agile Combat Employment—in South Korea this month for the latest iteration of Freedom Shield exercise.

CHINA THREAT

China is waging cognitive warfare. Fighting back starts by defining it. We now face an era beyond just kinetic operations defined by what experts call cognitive warfare, insidious conflict aimed at influencing how people think and act, destabilizing the very bedrock of democratic institutions. (RELATED: China Building Massive Deep-Sea Lab To Extract Mysterious Energy Source)

Canada condemns China executions of four Canadian alleged drug smugglers.

RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR

Ukraine claims to be one of the first countries to have successfully developed a drone-killing anti-aircraft laser weapon.

Footage of an L3Harris VAMPIRE SAM system in Ukrainian service downing an incoming Russian attack drone with a low-cost APKWS laser-guided rocket. pic.twitter.com/OeoZBm0y2N

— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) February 12, 2025

Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle to a limited ceasefire after Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders this week, though timing to take effect and what are off limits targets are still pending.

Ukraine and Russia exchanged aerial assaults overnight, just hours after the Kremlin agreed to temporarily halt attacks on energy infrastructure targets. (RELATED: World Leader Bombs Hospitals Hours After Making Grand Promises To Trump)

EURO-CANADIAN DEFENSE

The EU is pushing for member states to spend more on joint defense procurement within the 27-nation bloc, as part of a plan to build up a credible military deterrent against Russia by 2030.

Can Europe’s new military spending help its economies? Its leaders hope a surge of investment, to fill a security void left by the U.S., can ignite growth. It won’t be easy. (RELATED: What Germany Won’t Admit About Nord Stream – And Why It Matters)

Menaced by Trump, Canada’s draft deal to participate in Europe’s defense industry buildup will bring contracts to Canadian manufacturers and help lessen dependence on the US.

IRAN THREAT/ISRAEL WARS

In his push for Mideast peace, Trump gave a green light to Israel’s deadly strikes on Gaza early Tuesday, which ended the fragile ceasefire in place since January.

Air Force fighters have been using new laser-guided rockets to down Houthi drones attacking ships in the Red Sea, as DOD seeks to drive down the cost of defeating cheap uncrewed systems.

Israeli troops advance in Gaza and retake section that bisects the strip north to south, and warned that attacks would increase “with an intensity that you have not known” until Hamas frees dozens of hostages and gives up control of the territory.

INTERNATIONAL SECURITY

An Israel-based drone company and US firm Mach Industries plan to co-produce hydrogen fuel cell powered drones, which offer big advantages in range but have previously faced challenges for battlefield use.

The US energy department put South Korea on a watchlist because visitors to its laboratories mishandled sensitive information.

US MILITARY

The Army has unveiled the designs for the service’s new Mountaineering and Mariner Badges, which soldiers should be able to buy later this year.

New Army cold weather manual lays out the ‘arctic determination’ key to fighting in freezing weather and covers everything from ambushes and evacuations to how chaplains can keep wine warm for services. (RELATED: Thanks To Trump, Canada Finally Agrees To Defense Transformation)

Space Force released a new strategy outlining plans to integrate AI into operations and improve AI literacy among its personnel.

The US military has actually cared about climate change since the Cold War. See why.

END of PDB

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.

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