South
US military flying surveillance aircraft for reconnaissance missions along southern border with Mexico
The U.S. military is flying surveillance aircraft along the southern border with Mexico to collect intelligence and conduct reconnaissance, according to U.S. defense sources familiar with operations at the border.
The U-2 spy planes have been joined by P-8A Poseidon aircraft and are flying the length of the border.
The Navy P-8A and U-2 Air Force aircraft have been deployed to the border since President Donald Trump issued a Day One executive order declaring a national emergency there, and have been flying about one sortie per day.
Fox News is told this is not the first time that the U.S. has flown this kind of surveillance along the border.
COUNTER-DRUG SEA DRONES UTILIZED BY NAVY AS TRUMP RAMPS UP MILITARY RESOURCES AT THE BORDER
U.S. Navy sailors, assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 40, conduct flight operations along the southern border aboard a P-8A Poseidon aircraft on Jan. 31, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andy Anderson)
It is not clear if the aircraft are flying in Mexican airspace or need to be in Mexican airspace to conduct the surveillance flights.
“I can’t discuss the specific tracks/flight paths, but the aircraft are flying in support of a common problem to both of our sovereign nations,” an Air Force spokesperson told Fox News. “We respect Mexico’s sovereignty. We don’t need another nation’s permission to fly in international airspace.”
MEXICO AGREES TO DEPLOY 10,000 TROOPS TO US BORDER IN EXCHANGE FOR TARIFF PAUSE
U.S. Navy sailors, assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 40, conduct flight operations along the southern border aboard a P-8A Poseidon aircraft on Jan. 31, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andy Anderson)
The U-2 “provides high-altitude, all-weather surveillance and reconnaissance” during the day or night and “delivers critical imagery and signals intelligence to decision makers,” the Air Force writes in its description of the aircraft.
The Navy describes its P-8 Poseidon as a “multi-mission maritime patrol and reconnaissance aircraft conducting long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.”
A P-8A Poseidon aircraft, assigned to Patrol Squadron (VP) 40, rests on the runway at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, between operations along the southern border on Jan. 31, 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Andy Anderson)
There have been discussions at the Pentagon about how to reassure the public that the spy planes are not gathering intelligence on U.S. citizens, Fox News is told. If the aircraft inadvertently collects intel on American citizens who may live at the border or who are crossing at legal check points, operators are required to erase such data.
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Most fentanyl trafficked into the U.S. is smuggled in by American citizens at legal ports of entry, and very little is smuggled across by migrants entering illegally, given their likelihood of being intercepted, according to several CATO Institute reports in the past few years.
Miami, FL
Future of Miami historic landmark continues in limbo after redevelopment plan rejected by zoning board
The fight over the future of the Coconut Grove Playhouse continues after a controversial redevelopment plan was rejected by a city zoning hearing on Wednesday.
The historic landmark, built in 1927, has been a dilapidated eyesore since it closed its doors in 2006. Developers had previously come in for renovations, but the project stalled following a partial collapse. The site is currently covered under a black tarp as the city continues to disagree on its final plans.
The city zoning hearing reviewing the proposal for the Coconut Grove Playhouse went late into the night on Wednesday. Miami-Dade County leaders plan to redevelop the site into an open campus with a new theater, shops, and parking. However, not all residents are for it.
“This is a place that is a treasure in Coconut Grove,” said Carl Hawks, a Coconut Grove resident.
Marlene Erven, with the Coconut Grove Women’s Club, explained the neighborhood’s concerns.
“We are fighting to preserve as much as we can for the intent of the property, which is a cultural use and to help the neighborhood be protected from the commercial intrusion of all of the development,” Erven said.
In the end, the plan was rejected, which thrilled residents like Erven.
“I think yesterday was a win to some extent for saving the Playhouse and the residents of West Grove,” Erven said.
While most “Grovites” disagree with the county’s major plan, they do say something needs to be done, all while keeping the history of the site alive.
The developers will now have to return to the drawing board. It is unknown when those new plans will be presented. The saga of the Coconut Grove Playhouse continues.
FLOWERY BRANCH – The Atlanta Falcons are gearing up for rookie minicamp this weekend after a flurry of player moves over the last several weeks. General manager Ian Cunningham is not finished making changes to his roster, and the front office has reunited with another former player.
According to a press release from the team, the Falcons have signed cornerback Darren Hall and released safety Tysheem Johnson in a corresponding move.
Hall was originally selected by the franchise in the fourth round (108th overall) of the 2021 NFL Draft out of San Diego State. Over his four seasons with the Falcons (2021-22) and Arizona Cardinals (2024-25), he has appeared in 48 games (12 starts), registering 85 total tackles, three tackles for loss, six passes defended, one sack, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
In the time between his stints in Atlanta and Arizona, Hall was a member of the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad (2023).
As a college player for the Aztecs, he tied the FBS lead for pass breakups with 16 in 2019. He appeared in 34 games (22 starts) over his three seasons (2018-20) with San Diego State, recording 134 tackles (101 solo), 31 passes defensed, eight tackles for loss, six interceptions, three forced fumbles, 2.5 sacks, and one fumble recovery. He was a first-team All-Mountain West selection following the 2020 season.
As a pro, Hall’s career has not gone exactly as he would have hoped. 10 of Hall’s starts came with the Falcons, and he largely struggled in 2022. He surrendered 362 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 27 receptions against 37 targets. The Falcons waived him in August 2023 in favor of rookie Clark Phillips III, Jeff Okudah, Tre Flowers, and Mike Hughes.
Hall is still a versatile player with solid tackling ability, giving him a shot at being a depth cornerback on this roster or earning a spot on the practice squad. He will face stiff competition to earn that spot, with Phillips, Cobee Bryant, Darnay Holmes, Mike Ford Jr., C.J. Henderson, and Natrone Brooks all standing in his way.
For now, he is the second player from that 2021 draft class (Terry Fontenot’s first as a general manager) to receive some form of a second contract (Kyle Pitts was franchise tagged earlier this offseason) – it just did not happen the way anyone expected. Hall now becomes the third former Falcon to join the roster via free agency this offseason after stints with other franchises (Austin Hooper and Olamide Zaccheaus).
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