Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) secured a provision in the defense bill to empower the Department of Defense to combat drones and other unmanned aircraft from crossing America’s borders.
“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,” Ernst said in a written statement.
“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,” she continued.
Ernst secured the provision inside the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year 2025. The provision aims to make it easier for the Defense Department to combat foreign adversaries and drug cartels from using drones to cross America’s borders.
Unknown drones flying within the country have become an issue across the country, especially in New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic, where drones have flown above military installations in the Garden State.
The Mexican Sinaloa Cartel reportedly flew drones along the southern border, and some drones reportedly carried explosives to attack rival cartels.
During a Senate Armed Services Committee in March, Air Force General Gregory Guillot said that drones crossed the southern border more than 1,000 times per month.
The U.S. Customs and Protection reported in 2023 that human smugglers used drones to surveil border patrol agents.
Ernst also recently hounded Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, demanding answers about how the big tech platform is censoring military recruitment content.
“Our freedoms are only possible because of the long tradition of Americans volunteering to serve and defend their nation, like I did,” Ernst said in a written statement.
She continued, “I am concerned Meta’s algorithms are hindering our investment in connecting with and recruiting the next generation of warfighters. The service and sacrifice of the brave men and women in uniform should be celebrated not restricted.”
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him on X @SeanMoran3.
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