Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to Speak at Otay Mesa on Border Security Efforts Thursday

Press conference scheduled in San Diego’s South Bay

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to appear in Otay Mesa on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, for a press conference focused on border security and drug-interdiction efforts. The event is set for 1:30 p.m. and is expected to include senior field leadership and regional officials involved in enforcement at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Noem is slated to be joined by U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks and U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials. The appearance comes as the San Diego border region remains a major corridor for lawful cross-border travel and trade while also serving as an operational focus for efforts to disrupt drug-smuggling networks and unauthorized crossings.

Policy backdrop: enforcement, infrastructure, and legal authorities

The Otay Mesa event takes place in the context of wider federal actions since early 2025 that have combined enforcement initiatives with accelerated infrastructure plans along parts of the California border. In April 2025, the federal government issued an environmental-law waiver to expedite construction of roughly 2.5 miles of new border barrier projects in San Diego County, including areas near Jacumba and Smugglers Gulch. The waiver was issued under authority in the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, a mechanism used in past administrations to speed border-barrier work.

Separately, federal transportation officials finalized a $150 million grant agreement in April 2025 tied to border infrastructure in the San Diego–Baja California region, describing the funding as intended to strengthen inspection capacity for border operations. Such projects are typically framed around traffic flow, freight movement, and inspection technology, while intersecting with security and staffing needs at the ports of entry.

Officials expected to address operations and outcomes

Banks, who began serving as Border Patrol chief in January 2025, is expected to appear alongside Noem as the department highlights operational priorities. In recent months, federal officials have publicly emphasized lower border apprehension levels compared with prior years, while continuing to characterize drug-smuggling and human-smuggling activity as persistent threats, including maritime smuggling incidents off the San Diego County coastline.

• When: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, 1:30 p.m.

• Where: Otay Mesa area, near the U.S.-Mexico border

• Who: DHS Secretary Kristi Noem; U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks; CBP officials

• Topic: Border security and drug-seizure efforts

The Otay Mesa appearance is positioned as a federal update on border enforcement and interdiction work in the San Diego sector, where port-of-entry operations and cross-border security initiatives converge daily.

What to watch locally

For the San Diego region, the press conference may preview near-term enforcement posture, coordination with port-of-entry inspection operations, and how federal agencies plan to balance infrastructure, staffing, and technology investments. Any operational statistics, new initiatives, or funding details announced Thursday could shape expectations for cross-border travel conditions and enforcement activity in the South Bay in the coming months.