As United States Army troops arrived at the Mexico-U.S. border in October 2025 to replace units stationed there since early in the year, U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and North American Aerospace Defense Command Commander Gregory M. Guillot praised the efforts of the Joint Task Force-Southern Border (JTF-SB) for aligning its mission cohesively with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency.
In March 2025, the 10th Mountain Division, commanded by Maj. Gen Scott Naumann, arrived from its home base in Fort Drum, New York, to take command of the task force’s operations. The division “assumed the role of synchronizer of several USNORTHCOM activities and military forces for southern border efforts,” according to a USNORTHCOM news release. Guillot singled out for praise the division’s efforts to coordinate closely with Border Patrol agents and zones along the border. “JTF-Southern Border did exceptional work employing joint, all-domain capabilities across the [3,145-kilometer] southern border. They implemented new tactics and innovative operations while partnering with the U.S. Border Patrol to achieve unprecedented operational control. The effect? Nothing but a record of stunning mission success,” Guillot said.
Since May, the JTF-SB expanded its operations into four National Defense Areas across Arizona, New Mexico and Texas, often in extremely rugged terrain where Army units marked 2,153 signs in the most remote border region in the U.S., the USNORTHCOM release stated. “JTF-SB brought together advanced military capabilities — such as command and control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), and intelligence-driven maneuver forces — to support U.S. Border Patrol in executing all-domain operations across the entire border region. The task force also maintains strong collaboration with the Mexican military and U.S. government agencies to ensure seamless information sharing and coordinated responses,” the release stated.
The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Headquarters will be commanded by Maj. Gen. David W. Gardner, the release stated. The 101st Airborne is based in Fort Campbell, Kentucky. The JFT-SB headquarters commands about 7,600 troops in the region.
Other troop rotations to the border were announced in September. They are:
- The 10th Combat Aviation Brigade, 10th Mountain Division replaces the 1st Infantry Division Combat Aviation Brigade.
- The 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division replaces the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division.
- The 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Division Artillery replaces the 89th Military Police Brigade.
- The 11th Corps Signal Brigade, III Armored Corps replaces the 35th Corps Signal Brigade, XVIII Airborne Corps.
- The 130th Maneuver Enhancement Brigade, North Carolina National Guard replaces the 90th Sustainment Brigade, U.S. Army Reserve.
Since the U.S. military deployed to the border, illegal migration has decreased to record lows, and drug smuggling has become more difficult, in part because of Mexico’s strong collaboration. In February, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum deployed more than 10,000 Soldiers to her country’s northern border under Operación Frontera Norte. Mexican authorities seized nearly 70,000 pounds of drugs, including 392 pounds of fentanyl during the operation, according to the Texas Observer. “The reduction of fentanyl, or the passage of fentanyl from Mexico to the United States, has fallen in a very dramatic way,” Sheinbaum said in June.