U.S. deploys ground-based air-defense systems around Mar-a-Lago and Palm Beach airport at Secret Service request

The U.S. military has deployed ground-based air-defense and counter-drone systems around President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate and at the nearby Donald J. Trump International Airport in Palm Beach, Florida, federal officials confirmed.

NORAD and U.S. Northern Command said the deployment was made at the request of the U.S. Secret Service.

“At the request of the U.S. Secret Service and under NORAD and USNORTHCOM authorities, NORAD and USNORTHCOM deployed ground-based air defense assets in and around Mar-a-Lago, Florida,” the commands said.

The Secret Service said it is operating in a “heightened threat environment” and had requested additional counter-unmanned-aircraft capabilities to support presidential protection.

Officials have not identified a specific threat that prompted the deployment and declined to disclose operational details or how long the systems will remain in place.

Local reporting and photographs indicate that at least two Avenger short-range air-defense systems have been positioned on a barge in the Lake Worth Lagoon beside Mar-a-Lago, with additional systems visible near the airport where Air Force One operates.

The Avenger is a mobile U.S. Army air-defense system equipped with Stinger missiles and designed primarily to counter drones, helicopters, cruise missiles and low-flying aircraft. The military itself has not publicly identified the specific systems deployed.

The move adds another layer to security measures already in place around Trump’s Palm Beach residence, which include restricted airspace and counter-drone capabilities.