War Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo on Thursday ordering a major shift in base security policy, allowing service members to request permission to carry personal firearms for self-defense amid growing concerns about threats on U.S. installations.

In an announcement on social media, Hegseth said all American citizens have a God-given right under the Second Amendment to carry weapons for protection. 

However, he said that right has not been extended to uniformed service members, who are «trained at the highest and unwavering standards.»

«These war fighters, entrusted with the safety of our nation, are no less entitled to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms than any other American,» Hegseth said. «Our war fighters defend the right of others to carry. They should be able to carry themselves.»

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Citing recent tragedies at Fort Stewart, Holloman Air Force Base and Pensacola Naval Air Station, Hegseth said the incidents have «made clear» that «some threats are closer to home than we would like.» 

«In these instances, minutes are a lifetime, and our service members have the courage and training to make those precious short minutes count,» he said. «Before today, it was virtually impossible … for War Department personnel to get permission to carry and store their own personal weapons aligned with the state laws where we operate our installations.»

While service members can already own personal firearms, concealing and carrying a weapon was previously not permitted on federal sites — including military installations.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth administers the oath of enlistment to a group of National Guard soldiers, at the base of the Washington Monument, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026 in Washington. (Kevin Wolf/AP)

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Those who owned personal weapons had to register their guns with base authorities and storage was often controlled by the installation.

Carrying on post was often restricted to military police, security and personnel on official duty.

«Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,» Hegseth said. «Unless you’re training, or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn’t carry. You couldn’t bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post. Well, that’s no longer.»

300 Soldiers treat and work on fake wounded soldiers for a training exercise (Fox News)

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The memo signed Thursday directs installation commanders to allow requests to carry a privately owned firearm, with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection. 

If a request is denied, Hegseth said the reason for that denial will be put in writing and will explain, in detail, the basis for that direction. 

«Again, the presumption is service members will be able to have their Second Amendment right on post,» he said. «Not all enemies are foreign, nor are they all outside our borders. Some are domestic. Confirming your God-given right to self-protection is what I’m signing into action today, and I’m proud to do so.»

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Hegseth did not specify if training or certification will be required, or if storage and transport of weapons will be regulated.

It is also unclear if there will be uniform rules across all military branches.

El ministro del Interior, John Reimberg, afirmó que su cartera de Estado ha presentado más de 21 denuncias contra jueces y fiscales que, según el Gobierno, habrían favorecido la liberación de personas detenidas en operativos contra el crimen organizado, en un contexto marcado por la intensificación de la política de seguridad impulsada por el Ejecutivo.

En una entrevista concedida a El Universo, el funcionario sostuvo que estas acciones forman parte de una estrategia más amplia orientada a reforzar la lucha contra las estructuras delictivas, no solo a través de operativos policiales y militares, sino también mediante el control institucional del sistema judicial. Según indicó, el objetivo es evitar que los esfuerzos de las fuerzas del orden se vean debilitados por decisiones judiciales que permitan la excarcelación de detenidos vinculados a delitos graves.

Reimberg señaló que existe una preocupación dentro del Gobierno respecto al funcionamiento de ciertos operadores de justicia, a quienes acusó de no actuar conforme a las demandas de seguridad de la ciudadanía. En ese sentido, aseguró que se han iniciado investigaciones en coordinación con la Fiscalía y que incluso ya se ha producido la detención de un juez por presuntamente favorecer a organizaciones criminales.

El ministro evitó precisar el número total de jueces investigados, argumentando que revelar esa información podría afectar las indagaciones en curso. No obstante, enfatizó que el mensaje del Ejecutivo es claro: cualquier funcionario judicial que incurra en prácticas irregulares enfrentará consecuencias penales. En sus declaraciones, insistió en que no se permitirá que la justicia “haga lo que hizo el año anterior”, en referencia a decisiones que, según el Gobierno, facilitaron la liberación de detenidos.

Estas afirmaciones se producen en el marco de un balance sobre las medidas de seguridad implementadas en varias provincias del país, particularmente los toques de queda aplicados en Guayas, Los Ríos, Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas y El Oro. De acuerdo con Reimberg, estas acciones permitieron ejecutar operativos dirigidos a desarticular economías criminales, incluyendo actividades como el narcotráfico, la minería ilegal y el tráfico de armas.

El funcionario explicó que el uso del toque de queda respondió a la necesidad de minimizar riesgos durante intervenciones de alto impacto, en las que se requirió el uso de fuerza y el control de territorios considerados estratégicos para las organizaciones delictivas. También dejó abierta la posibilidad de aplicar medidas similares en otras provincias, dependiendo de la evolución de las operaciones y de los objetivos identificados por las autoridades.

En términos de resultados, Reimberg indicó que durante marzo se registró una reducción del 28% en ciertos indicadores de criminalidad que no incluyen homicidios, y detalló que se realizaron más de 2.200 allanamientos y se detuvo a unas 4.300 personas. Además, mencionó la captura de objetivos de alto e intermedio valor, así como la identificación de financistas de estructuras criminales.

Sin embargo, reconoció que la disminución de la criminalidad no es absoluta y que continúan registrándose hechos violentos, incluso en zonas donde se aplicaron restricciones de movilidad. Según explicó, esto se debe a que las operaciones contra grupos delictivos se mantienen activas y no dependen exclusivamente de medidas como el toque de queda.

El ministro también abordó la relación entre el Ejecutivo y el sistema judicial, subrayando que la lucha contra la delincuencia requiere una articulación efectiva entre ambas funciones del Estado. En ese contexto, insistió en que las denuncias presentadas buscan corregir lo que considera desviaciones en el actuar de jueces y fiscales, sin que ello implique una intromisión en sus competencias.

En paralelo, Reimberg destacó la cooperación internacional, especialmente con Estados Unidos, en materia de inteligencia y estrategias para atacar las estructuras económicas del crimen organizado. Este apoyo, según explicó, se enfoca en debilitar las fuentes de financiamiento de las organizaciones delictivas, consideradas un eje central en la política de seguridad del Gobierno.

Florida and Mississippi voters will soon face new citizenship verification rules after governors signed the measures into law Wednesday, triggering at least two lawsuits in the Sunshine State.

The measures, signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves, are aimed at upholding election integrity as similar legislation by President Donald Trump remains stalled in Congress.

Mississippi’s measure is expected to take effect on July 1, with Florida’s law following on Jan. 1, 2027. 

Under both laws, voters will be required to provide citizenship documents — such as birth certificates, passports, or naturalization certificates — if local officials challenge their eligibility after cross-referencing databases for voter registration applications. If individuals fail to provide the required proof of citizenship after being flagged, both states are required to remove them from its voter registration rolls.

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DeSantis said the Florida SAVE Act will improve the security and transparency of the state’s election system. 

«Safeguarding the electoral process to improve oversight and prevent unlawful influence has been a top priority for my administration since my first days in office,» he said in a social media post. «This legislation strengthens the security, transparency, and reliability of Florida’s election system.»

Lawsuits challenging the bill quickly followed, with one civil rights group arguing that some voters may not have the required documents and could face difficulties obtaining them.

«Many eligible voters do not have these documents and cannot obtain them for a variety of reasons—including because they were born without a birth certificate in the segregated South, because their documents were destroyed in a hurricane, or because they cannot afford the hundreds of dollars it costs to replace them,» the lawsuit filed in federal court in South Florida by the League of Women Voters of Florida stated.

Under the law, student IDs and retirement community identifications can no longer be used as polling identifications. New driver’s licenses must also reflect citizenship status starting July 2027.

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Voters cast their ballots on November 8, 2022, during midterm elections. (George Frey/Getty Images)

Separately, the Mississippi SHIELD Act does not mandate driver’s licenses to reflect citizenship. 

However, it does require local officials registering voters to run additional citizenship checks if applicants do not provide a driver’s license number on their voter application.

Mississippi officials must also perform an annual statewide check against the federal database before a federal election to flag potential noncitizens.

«While states like California and New York flood their voter rolls with illegal aliens, Mississippi will do the opposite and defend Americans’ right to determine the outcome of elections,» Reeves said in a social media post. «We will continue to do everything in our power to make it infinitely harder – with a goal to make it impossible – to cheat in our elections!»

Civil rights group Southern Poverty Law Center noted that the measure could disenfranchise Mississippi residents who lack the proper paperwork, including women whose last names changed upon marriage.

Mississippi Gov. Reeves, center, speaks during an event on Jan. 18, 2024, at the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, Miss. (Rogelio V. Solis/AP)

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The new laws follow similar measures signed in late March by South Dakota and Utah to strengthen proof-of-citizenship requirements for voters.

Meanwhile, Trump’s own voting legislation — the Republican‑backed SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship and photo ID for federal elections — has been approved by the U.S. House but remains stalled in the Senate amid insufficient support to overcome the Democratic-led filibuster.