U.S. troops deployed to the southern border can now conduct patrols in Stryker armored vehicles, according to U.S. Northern Command, or NORTHCOM.
The move comes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered on March 1 that about 2,400 soldiers with the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division deploy to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Then, on March 20, Hegseth authorized U.S. service members assigned to the border region to conduct “enhanced detection and monitoring” to support agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP, a recent NORTHCOM news release says. This will allow troops to go from manning stationary positions on the border to using Strykers and other tactical military vehicles for patrols within designated patrol zones and to transport Customs and Border agents on patrol routes.
Strykers are eight-wheeled vehicles that can carry up to 11 people and reach a top speed of 60 miles per hour, according to the Army. Some variants include a remote weapons station for a .50 caliber machine gun or MK19 grenade launcher.
“The unique military capabilities and equipment such as 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team’s Stryker armored vehicles can be more effectively utilized by Joint Task Force – Southern Border (JTF-SB) while working with CBP to achieve operational control of the border,” the news release says.
More than 10,000 service members have either deployed or been approved to deploy to the southern border region. Because the troops are on federal orders under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, they are not allowed to carry out law enforcement activities, including seizing and arresting individuals, according to NORTHCOM.
“Any law enforcement actions to apprehend individuals suspected of illegal entry must be conducted only by non-DoD law enforcement personnel and National Guard personnel in a non-federalized status accompanying these patrols,” the NORTHCOM news release says.
Service members assigned to Joint Task Force – Southern Border have already conducted training on how to abide by the law when detecting, tracking, and monitoring suspected illegal activity along the border, the news release says.
CBP agents will be “on-hand or nearby” during patrols to perform any required law enforcement activity, Gen. Gregory Guillot, head of NORTHCOM, said in the news release.
U.S. troops supporting security efforts on the southern border will be armed with their assigned weapons, per established policies and procedures, NORTHCOM spokesperson Marine Col. Kelly Frushour told Task & Purpose.
“If the tactical task prohibits carrying of a weapon, an armed overwatch position will provide protection,” Frushour said in a statement. “As always, U.S. forces retain the right to self-defense.”