FAA Bars Unauthorized Drones Along the Whole US-Mexico Border

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Friday that it is barring unauthorized drones along the entire United States border with Mexico, Reuters reported. The Transportation Department, the Department of War and the Department of Homeland Security announced the restriction together, as the government steps up its response to illegal cross border drug shipments.

The temporary flight restriction covers a band one nautical mile north of the border, from the surface up to 400 feet above ground level. That is the altitude band where most small recreational and commercial drones fly. DroneXL, which pulled the full text of the orders from the FAA notice system on Friday afternoon, said three notices cover the whole border, from the Pacific coast to the Gulf coast.

The ban starts on October 20 and runs for a year

The three FAA notices, numbered 6/9954, 6/9955 and 6/9956, take effect at 00:00 UTC on October 20 and run through October 19, 2027, DroneXL reported. Permission to fly inside the band now runs through Customs and Border Protection. The ban covers every drone, including small recreational models that weigh less than 250 grams.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the restriction gives commanders better awareness of the airspace and more room to act, and he said the military would shoot down cartel drones that threaten United States sovereignty, Reuters reported. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the limits would help counter cartel drone threats, protect federal personnel and strengthen security above the border.

More than 1,000 incursions a month

The Pentagon has said there are more than 1,000 drone incursions along the border with Mexico each month, Reuters reported. Security officials have grown more alarmed at cartels using drones to drop drug packages on the United States side and to watch trafficking routes and patrol movements from the air.

In April, the FAA and the Pentagon signed an agreement that allows the government to use a high energy laser counter drone system along the southern border, Reuters reported. The system has already caused trouble of its own. In February, the FAA said it would halt all flights for 10 days at the airport in El Paso, Texas, because Customs and Border Protection used the laser system without an FAA safety review. The White House intervened and the FAA lifted the order after about eight hours.

Days later, the United States military shot down a Customs and Border Protection drone with the same laser system, and the FAA expanded the area where flights were barred around Fort Hancock, Texas, Reuters reported. The Homeland Security Department then promised closer communication with the other agencies.

A system used only on the southern border

Earlier this year, news reports said drones were seen over Fort McNair in Washington, where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Hegseth live. In May, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford told Reuters the counter drone system is used only along the southern border and is not used at Fort McNair, which sits close to Reagan Washington National Airport.

For people who live and work near the border, the practical change starts on Monday. Flying a drone for photos, farm work, surveys or news gathering inside the one mile band will need Customs and Border Protection permission first, for the next year.