The United States deployed 125 soldiers from the Nevada National Guard to its border with Mexico to support the operations of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as part of the military border surveillance initiative promoted by the administration of Donald Trump.
The personnel belong to the Light and Medium Transport Company 1859 of the National Guard of the Nevada Army, which is conducting its first mobilization in the 10 years since its establishment.
According to an official statement from the U.S. Army published this Wednesday, the military will have among its responsibilities ground operations, security support, and reconnaissance tasks to assist federal agencies in monitoring the southern border.
The soldiers departed on Tuesday from the Reno-Tahoe International Airport, after participating in a farewell ceremony held two days earlier at the Army aviation support facilities in Stead, Nevada.
Family members, friends, and high-ranking military officials attended the event to bid farewell to the members of the unit before their new mission.
"Soldiers, I am proud of you. Your families are proud of you. The great state of Nevada is proud of you. And our nation relies on you," said Brigadier General Randy Lau, commander of the Army component of the Nevada National Guard.
Captain Alecia Chandler, in charge of the company, also emphasized the training of her personnel and expressed her confidence that they would be able to accomplish the assigned tasks.
A transport unit that will now support border surveillance
The Company 1859 was established in 2016 and has primarily carried out transportation, logistics, and support missions for other military units up to now.
Its members had also been mobilized to assist in evacuations and security tasks during fires and floods in northern Nevada.
The current mission is integrated into the activities of the Southern Border Joint Task Force (JTF-SB), which operates under the direction of the United States Northern Command in support of federal authorities.
The statement did not specify which border sector the 125 soldiers from Nevada will operate in nor how long they will be deployed.
It also specified that these agents will not directly carry out arrests or deportations of immigrants, functions that correspond to the appropriate federal agencies.
The United States maintains military reinforcements at the border
The new mobilization adds to other military operations carried out in October along the U.S.-Mexico border.
On October 3rd, North Command announced the deployment of hundreds of troops to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. The network NewsNation estimated the contingent to be around 500 soldiers.
The military response came days after U.S. Coast Guard personnel were shot at from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande while they were engaged in surveillance operations. No injuries were reported among the U.S. agents.
The reinforcement was announced under the operation Unified Resolve, which is part of the broader military strategy called Ardent Vanguard.
This latest plan includes the deployment of troops, surveillance resources, and military capabilities to support the authorities responsible for border security.
The Joint Task Force-Southern Border was established in March 2025 and coordinates the involvement of military units in support of DHS and CBP.
The deployment of soldiers from Nevada expands the involvement of state units in this mission, although authorities have not clarified whether the newly sent troops will replace other military personnel or be added as a permanent reinforcement.
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