In a powerful reinforcement of President Trump’s no-nonsense border security policies, federal authorities have arrested another 209 criminal aliens who illegally crossed into the United States through a newly established restricted military zone in southern New Mexico. These individuals, instead of simply facing illegal entry charges, are now subject to enhanced legal consequences under Trump-era regulations, specifically for trespassing on a designated military defense area.
The arrests occurred last week along the U.S.-Mexico border, where the U.S. Department of the Interior transferred over 109,000 acres of federal land to the U.S. Army, including a crucial 60-foot-wide corridor in Doña Ana, Luna, and Hidalgo counties. This transfer enabled the Secretary of the Army to formally declare the territory the New Mexico National Defense Area, securing it against illegal infiltration.
This national defense designation, initiated during the Trump administration’s aggressive crackdown on border violations, means criminal aliens crossing into this region can now face two additional misdemeanor charges: violating a security regulation and unauthorized entry onto military property. Each charge carries up to 18 months of incarceration on top of the standard immigration offenses.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Mexico strongly defended the charges. “Most aliens who enter the District of New Mexico from Mexico through an area that is not a designated port of entry… and thereby enter the (restricted military area) without authorization — are not ‘engaged in apparently innocent conduct,’” federal prosecutors wrote in a May 5 filing.
Assistant federal public defender Amanda Skinner criticized the new charges, claiming in a court brief that they were “unsupported by probable cause” and “an attempt to strike a foul blow against undocumented immigrants.” But Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory Wormuth rejected her motion to dismiss the charges, moving the cases forward.
The federal government is clear: intent and signage visibility are not required to prosecute. In its filings, the government stated, “If an illegal alien enters the U.S. from Mexico without going through a designated port of entry and knows that such conduct is unlawful, then he or she has violated the military regulation.” This includes those who may not have physically seen warning signs or known they were crossing into military-controlled land.
Currently, approximately 199 warning signs have been posted along the 180-mile stretch of borderland designated as restricted, with the government working to install more. Officials note that the rough, desert terrain makes placing signage difficult, but maintain that placement has been “conspicuous and appropriate.”
An affidavit from a public defender investigator noted that signs were spaced every 200 to 300 feet and sometimes stood more than 60 feet from the wall. Still, the government’s position remains firm: illegal entry is illegal, regardless of how clearly marked the area may seem to the intruder.
As cases pile up—roughly 300 recent charges now include the military trespassing offense—President Trump’s legacy of tough border enforcement continues to pay dividends. While critics cry foul over the harsh consequences, the administration’s policy leaves no ambiguity: the sovereignty of the United States will be protected, and the use of federal lands to bolster national security is both lawful and necessary.
In an age of rampant border lawlessness under previous administrations, this strategic militarization of high-traffic border areas is a potent reminder that American borders must be enforced—and that under strong leadership, they will be.
A BIG THANK YOU to President Trump and our Military!! It’s a damned shame the piglet squatting in the roundhouse sat on her hands and did/ does nothing to protect New Mexico or the US! It’s about time she is arrested and dragged out of the roundhouse wearing handcuffs!!
Wouldn’t that be wonderful ! She is a horrible governor.
Eat thing to have made it a military zone! We have so many Mexicans in NM that do not speak any English! They seem to have no plans to leave… We have been invaded/infiltrated badly!
Wish there was an edit! So glad to have made it a military zone!
UNDERSTAND.
On the domestic front President Trump is doing a great job as he promised during his campaign. Most New Mexicans are tired of communist policies that have been enacted to demoralize citizens by the current regime in Santa Fe. We all must unite to rid this once great state of the malevolent politicians causing so much harm! By the way, it’s known that comrade Grisham has signed into law the nefarious act that enables illegal aliens to be police officers!! The next guy pulling you over could be an MS 13 criminal . More Marxist BS from the neo Bolshevik’s!!
Yeah, what are we supposed to do about illegal aliens pretending to be law enforcement? This doesn’t seem very safe, not on any level. But how could she actually do this is it is against Federal Law?
I hope they lock her up and throw away the key.
Wait, I did not know that! That is horrifying! OMG!! I’ll never speed again!
California governor Newscum did the same thing in California. What could go wrong?
Good.
It’s about time some order regarding the illegals in our state.
MLG has done nothing to help with the invasion. She and her comrades just milk our state while they can. They all need to be investigated for all the misuse of taxpayers money. DOGE can’t come fast enough.
And MLG the ungodly and evil governor so needs to be impeached, the sooner the better. She and her comrades need to go. But as usual, people keep voting these corrupt people into office. They have been brainwashed and just vote blindly. Pretty sad.
Glad the military is here to liberate us. Here cons the cavalry. NM is a war zone.
Yay! Here comes the cavalry!
I live in NE New Mexico. If it were us in the Northern half of the state she would have been gone already The problem is we don’t have the numbers of Santa Fe and Albuquerque. We are grossly outnumbered and need the help of our southern state to fix this!
Please get out there and encourage your cities and counties to vote! That will be the only way to sway people from just voting so blindly! It’s up to all of us to do our part to rid this state of those that don’t really have our best interests at heart.
It’s time to Mexico to take back our home.
Let’s go back to the Texas Republic. All land in NM East of the Rio Grande used to be part of TX. NM can keep Albuquerque and Santa Fe. Give us Rio Rancho.
Amen! Gregg Hull for Governor of New Mexico. Gregg is the most successful Mayor in New Mexico. As Mayor of Rio Rancho, he has brought job producing businesses to his community, low crime rate, and has the second-best school district in New Mexico (Los Alamos being the first, but again they have two PhD’s in every home !).
Believe me, Deloris, SENM is deep red but it is Albq, Santa Fe & Las Cruces that control the state. That’s about true in every state in the country: the big cities cancel all of the less populated rural areas.
The best part is that MLG can’t interfere with military operations on the NM border.
I want to see the Governor, and all Democrats in prison or hanged
Bernalillo, Santa Fe, Dona Ana and Sandoval counties are the problem. That is why the current powers that be gerrymandered all the congressional districts to share parts of those counties. Elections have consequences and were are seeing the results.
Go get ‘em! Thank you all!
Great job . N.M. Governor has done nothing except welcome these criminals into our state . She has let murderers , rapist, child molesters and drugs into our state . She should be in jail as a traitor to America .