US Soldiers Patrol the Southern Border with Stryker Power

by Jose Campos

Against the rugged expanse of the East Presidio sector, U.S. soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, rolled forward in a Stryker armored vehicle, patrolling a landscape that has become a frontline in America’s ongoing border security operations. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, these troops are part of Joint Task Force–Southern Border, a force committed to sealing the border and repelling illegal activity.

“These soldiers are out there putting it on the line,” one security official told Soldier of Fortune. “This is rough country, stark territory.

“The soldiers are highly visible out there, and they know it.”

This mission is more than routine enforcement. It represents a full-scale, agile, and multi-domain approach to securing the nation’s southern border, integrating military precision with Homeland Security’s expansive reach. The Department of Defense (DoD) has long played a support role in border security, but this latest alignment under Northern Command underscores a shift toward more coordinated, tactical deterrence.

Soldiers on the ground are not only reinforcing Customs and Border Protection (CBP) but also bringing enhanced surveillance, rapid response capability, and deterrent force to a region known for its vulnerabilities. The Stryker vehicles, known for their speed and adaptability, give these patrols an advantage in navigating both rough terrain and unpredictable threats.

While the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) leads border enforcement, the military’s involvement highlights the gravity of the situation. As transnational criminal organizations, human smugglers, and drug cartels continue to exploit weak points along the border, the Joint Task Force–Southern Border effort aims to ensure that security operations are both effective and unyielding.