Ernst Secures Border Air Space from Drones

WASHINGTON – To protect America from the increasing danger of drones invading our air space, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) secured a key provision in theNational Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2025 that would empower the Pentagon to take countermeasures against drones and other unmanned aircraft crossing the northern or southern borders.

Foreign adversaries and murderous drug cartels have used drones to exploit gaps in our national security, conduct surveillance, and engage in open warfare along the southern border.

“After four years of Biden’s open borders, President Trump will build the wall to keep Americans safe, and I’m working to secure the air space above the border as well,” said Ernst. “Murderous drug cartels and foreign adversaries have taken advantage of the chaos of the last administration to fly drones unchecked into American airspace. Border security is national security, and Americans deserve real measures to protect them against a growing threat.”

Now that both the Senate and the House have passed the NDAA for FY2025, this will head to the president’s desk to be signed into law.

Background:

Earlier this year, it was reported that the Sinaloa Cartel was flying drones along the southern border. In addition to using these aircraft for surveillance, it was reported some of the drones carried explosives and were used to attack rival cartels.

During a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in March 2024, U.S. Air Force General Gregory Guillot testified that drone incursions at the southern borderexceeded 1,000 per month.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported that, in 2023, human smugglers were using drones to surveil U.S. Border Patrol agents.

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