U.S. officials have confirmed that the U-2 Dragon Lady, the famed spy plane of the Cold War era, has been conducting a series of reconnaissance flights along the southern border in recent weeks. The U-2, which first flew in the 1950s, has joined a variety of newer aircraft, like the RC-135 Rivet Joint and drones, to conduct ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance) in support of President Trump’s new border initiatives.
Writing on X, Air Force Chief of Staff General David W. Allvin confirmed that U-2 “crews have been tirelessly providing unrivaled ISR support for [U.S. Northern Command] at the border to restore sovereignty and protect American communities.” Separately, a defense official confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine that the U-2 was indeed surveilling areas near the U.S.-Mexico border.
The continental deployment of the U-2 represents a stark departure from the historic use of the aircraft, which was once relied upon to spy on enemy territory—most notably the Soviet Union and Cuba.
The Border Was Trump’s Signature Issue in 2024
During the 2024 election, Trump campaigned on securing the southern border, often employing harsh rhetoric against migrants who crossed illegally, and raged against record-high border crossings under the Biden administration. The messaging offered a stark contrast with the messaging of the Biden administration, and the contrast drawn between the two campaigns established one of the sharpest dichotomies of the 2024 election.
After Trump won and assumed office for his second term, he immediately deployed military personnel and equipment to the border (and pressured Mexico into doing the same). Shockingly, these efforts seem to have caused illegal border crossings to plummet to a level not seen in two decades. In February 2025, Border Patrol recorded 29,100 migrant encounters, down from 47,300 the previous month—and down from over 130,000 encounters in February 2024.
The U-2, although not typically conceived as a tool relevant to such domestic policies, has been a part of the effort to stem illegal migration. Able to collect imagery, signals intelligence (SIGINT), and measurement and signature intelligence (MASINT) from altitudes in excess of 70,000 feet, the U-2 has been an Air Force (and CIA) staple since the 1950s, an aircraft at the disposal of every president since Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“The U-2’s are part of an array of U.S. military aircraft collecting intelligence along the southern border and over water off the coast of Mexico,” Air & Space Force Times reported. Although, the recent border patrols are not the first time the U-2 has been used domestically. “U.S. officials said Air Force U-2 flights over the continental United States gathered some of the most vital information about the Chinese spy balloon that flew over North American and across the United States in early 2023 before being shot down by an F-22 Raptor.”
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / Angel DiBilio.
