Three illegal immigrants were detained last week after allegedly crossing into the newly created military zone along the U.S.–Mexico border, the first detentions in the area, according to an Army official.
The individuals were handed over to Border Patrol after being detained by troops within the restricted National Defense Area in New Mexico on June 3, Maj. Geoffrey Carmichael, a spokesperson for Joint Task Force Southern Border, said on June 8.
We can confirm that June 3, 2025, was the first time Joint Task Force Southern Border personnel carried out temporary detentions of suspected illegal aliens within either of the National Defense Areas,” Carmichael told The Epoch Times by email.
Joint Task Force Southern Border provided no further details about the detentions.
The U.S. Army created the zones following President Donald Trump’s April 11 memorandum authorizing the military to take control of the land to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the border.
The military zone includes the Roosevelt Reservation, a 60-foot-wide corridor that runs along the border in California, Arizona, and New Mexico.
On May 1, U.S. Northern Command announced the creation of a second military zone, dubbed the Texas National Defense Area, which extends east from the Texas–New Mexico state line in El Paso.
On June 6, Peruvian national Adely Vanessa De La Cruz-Alvarez, 21, became the first illegal immigrant to stand trial for entering restricted military property. But the court ultimately found her not guilty.
De La Cruz-Alvarez was initially arrested in May after entering the United States from Mexico by crossing the Rio Grande riverbed on foot, according to court documents. She was also convicted of unlawful entry into the country and faces deportation.
The Trump administration has faced challenges in prosecuting illegal immigrants accused of trespassing in the military zones. Last month, a federal judge in New Mexico dismissed the charges against dozens of individuals accused of violating security regulations by trespassing on a designated zone along the U.S.–Mexico border.
Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Gregory Wormuth ruled that the federal government failed to prove that the illegal immigrants were aware they were entering restricted military zones, although the government had argued that signs in both English and Spanish were put in place to indicate that the area is a military zone and that any unauthorized entry is prohibited.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico began charging illegal immigrants with violating security regulations for crossing into the restricted military zone on April 28, on top of illegal border crossing charges. The attorney’s office said on June 6 that 88 people were charged with violating military security regulations and entering military property during the first week of June.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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