FAA, War and Homeland Security set a one-nautical-mile no-drone zone along the US-Mexico border

TLDR

• A new FAA flight restriction bars unauthorised drones within one nautical mile of the US-Mexico border, up to 400 feet.¹⁴
• Anyone who needs to fly there must ask Customs and Border Protection at least 48 hours ahead.²
• The FAA release says effective 16 October, but its Domestic Notice lists 19 October 2026 to 19 October 2027.¹²

The Department of Transportation, Department of War and Department of Homeland Security announced a temporary flight restriction (TFR) on 16 October that bars any unauthorised drone activity from the surface to 400 feet above ground level, extending one nautical mile north of the US-Mexico border.¹ The FAA release says the move will reduce risks to border security operations, protect federal personnel and facilities, and enhance enforcement against those who violate the restrictions.¹ Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin both pointed to cartel drone threats, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said warfighters equipped with technology including directed energy weapons "will shoot down any cartel drone that threatens America's sovereignty".¹⁴

Three NOTAMs carry the binding terms

The FAA says it will publish a NOTAM linking to the Domestic Notice and to its UAS Data Delivery System, and that operators must review all applicable NOTAMs before flying.¹ Drone Authority reports that the Domestic Notice names three NOTAMs (ZLA 6/9954, ZAB 6/9978 and ZHU 6/9956), that its map is for awareness only, and that pilots must read the NOTAMs for exact times, boundaries, altitudes and exceptions.² The release calls the restriction "effective today", while the Domestic Notice, as Drone Authority reports it, gives 19 October 2026 to 19 October 2027, so operators should rely on the NOTAM text for the start time.¹² The NOTAM numbers come from Drone Authority alone.

Approval runs through CBP

Drone Authority says requests to fly inside the zone go to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at SWBDRONEZONEWAIVERS@CBP.DHS.GOV at least 48 hours before the flight. Each request lists the pilot's name, FAA certifications and phone number, the date, time and place, and the drone's Remote ID, make, model and serial number. Groups responding to natural disasters or urgent emergencies may be eligible for faster coordination by calling CBP on 951-570-4185.²

Context

The Hill notes that the FAA closed airspace over El Paso, Texas, and southern New Mexico in February during a Pentagon counter-drone technology test, with the order lifted hours later.³ It also cites CBP sources saying suspected cartel-linked drones in the Rio Grande Valley fell 75 per cent after the military began using high-energy lasers, while officials acknowledged that the drop could reflect cartels changing routes or tactics.³ FedScoop places the restriction within a wider southern-border counter-drone push that includes the Army-led Joint Interagency Task Force 401.⁴

Why it matters: the restriction sets a standing, roughly year-long no-drone band that operators near the border must now clear with CBP in advance, unlike February's one-off El Paso closure. Because the release and the Domestic Notice differ on the start date, and the binding terms sit in the NOTAMs, operators should read those directly.