(NewsNation) — Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has been touting the Trump administration’s crackdown on those trying to cross the border illegally, saying that DHS has almost total control of the border thanks to aggressive deportations, historic drug seizures and expanded partnerships with Mexico and other countries.
“CBP, literally has almost 100% operational control the border which means that our country is secure and that we know who’s coming into this country,” Noem said. In the last couple of weeks, deportations have increased by 50%, she said.
“We’re now not even just getting the worst of the worst out,” Noem said. “We’re making sure that there’s consequences for being here and committing crimes in our communities.”
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While criminal groups are still testing the system, federal officials are responding with a level of coordination not seen in years, especially through joint efforts with Mexico and other allies.
Last month, U.S. Border Patrol’s Foreign Operations Branch provided a tip that led the Mexican military to dismantle a site in Sonora used by transnational criminal organizations to monitor Border Patrol activity and guide smugglers.
Then, on U.S. soil, agents in the Tucson Sector intercepted migrants on motorcycles trying to flee into the desert. The riders crashed and were quickly detained. Officials say this kind of reckless evasion is happening more often as smugglers get desperate.
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High-level cartel associates and gang members are still trying to slip through, but law enforcement is intercepting them before they can get into United States communities.
One example is an MS-13 gang member, known for violent crimes, who tried to sneak across the border — but Border Patrol from the Premier Sector in California caught him before he could disappear into the country. The man was arrested, charged, and flown back to Honduras.
It’s not just foreign nationals. In McAllen, Texas, Border Patrol and local police arrested a U.S. citizen deeply tied to the Gulf Cartel and Valluco Prison Gang.
Authorities say she ran a full-scale criminal operation involving drug trafficking, human smuggling, and vehicle theft. She’s now facing state felony charges, with federal charges possibly on the way.
In southern Arizona, a convicted felon from Iran —legally in the U.S. — was caught smuggling three Guatemalan migrants with two firearms and fentanyl found in the vehicle. He and his U.S. citizen passenger now face both state and federal charges, including alien smuggling and firearms violations. With cases like these happening across multiple states, DHS says it’s not just about arrests—it’s about building stronger partnerships abroad to stop these criminal groups before they reach our communities.
“I’ll be meeting with the president and also Colombia and Mexico and talking about building these relationships, so that we can continue to get people out of this country that don’t belong here and take them home,” Noem said.
