Highlights from VP Vance Border Visit

Secret Service, Air Force, and Border Patrol came together for Air Force Two arrival

VPOTUS JD Vance brought SECDEF Pete Hegseth and DNI Tulsi Gabbard aboard Air Force Two and landed at Laughlin Airport (KDLF) on Wednesday morning 3/6/25. It was the new Administration’s first trip down to the southern border. 30 minutes after Air Force Two touched down in Del Rio, and with only 15 minutes of feet on the ground, VP Vance continued onto Eagle Pass via Black Hawk Helicopters and Motorcade. His full travel agenda is compiled below, along with highlights from his roundtable with Border Patrol and Shelby Park press conference.

VP Vance departed Washington D.C. mid-morning, after a late night attending the President’s State of the Union on 3/5/25. Vance was accompanied by an entourage of 50, maybe more. Most of his traveling party included secret service and press, they joined him aboard Air Force Two. Another lot of security and advisors arrived at Laughlin in advance to prep. All of Laughlin was on high alert. Air Force air power was on full display, they ran an airshow of their slickest planes while waiting for VPOTUS arrival. Then came the quiet before the storm. All air traffic ceased. Secret service broke their huddle, and in an instant, a motorcade of 5 bulletproof vehicles was in motion, they relocated from the flightline entrance to main runway. Like clockwork, Air Force Two touched down.

Connect Del Rio compiled a minute-by-minute digest of the VP’s day and pulled key quotes from his visit. VPOTUS arrived and departed from Del Rio, Texas via Laughlin Air Force Base.

Traveling Party poured out of the Air Force Two rear door, before VP Vance made his appearance at the front.

VP Vance and his Traveling Party, walk across the Laughlin flight line to a pack of Black Hawks

3/6/25 VPOTUS AGENDA

10:00AM TRAVELING PARTY DEPARTS WASHINGTON DC

10:20AM BLACK HAWKS & AIR STAIRS READIED ON LAUGHLIN FLIGHT LINE

12:00PM AIR FORCE TWO LANDS AT LAUGHLIN AFB

12:15PM VP VANCE EXITS AIR FORCE TWO AND WAVES FOR MEDIA PHOTO OPP

12:17PM VP VANCE GREETED ON THE GROUND BY 2 AIR FORCE COMMANDERS

12:20PM VP VANCE RECEIVES BLESSING FROM PRIEST FOR ASH WEDNESDAY

12:30PM VP VANCE TAKES HELICOPTER TOUR OF BORDER

13:15PM HELICOPTER TOUR LANDS AT EAGLE PASS BORDER PATROL CENTER

13:30PM ROUNDTABLE AT BORDER PATROL CENTER – SESSION OPEN TO THE PRESS

13:45PM PRIVATE ROUNDTABLE BORDER PATROL EXCLUSIVE – CLOSED SESSION

14:00PM DPS HORSE PATROL JOINS SECURITY TEAM AT SHELBY PARK

15:00PM VP VANCE ARRIVES TO SHEBLY PARK IN EAGLE PASS

15:30PM VP VANCE PROVIDES REMARKS TO PRESS AT SHELBY PARK

15:40PM SECDEF HEGSETH AND DNI GABBARD PROVIDE REMARKS

15:45PM VP VANCES TAKES 10 MINUTES OF QUESTIONS FROM THE PRESS

16:00PM VP VANCE EXITS SHELBY PARK VIA MOTORCADE

17:00PM VP VANCE AND HIS TRAVELING PARTY BEGIN RETURN JOURNEY TO DC

Shelby Park is a city-owned park located on the Rio Grande River. The park was seized by the federal government in January 2024 to be used as a military encampment. Texas Governor Abbott declared a state of emergency at Shelby Park in January 2025 and provided reinforcements. The VPOTUS visit was the first time in over a year that media were allowed to access the park. The White House / Border Patrol Roundtable was joined by Governor Greg Abbott, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, Representative Tony Gonzalez, and others. Featured quotes from VP Vance and his team are highlighted below.

VANCE OPENS ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION: “I’ve heard already from a number of the folks that I’ve talked to in Border Patrol, that all we needed to do was empower these guys to do their job, thank god they have done their job. We are thrilled that they have done it."

VANCE REACTS TO HELICOPTER TOUR: “We took a helicopter ride over here and we saw a big chunk of border wall. And I said, is that the federal government’s border wall? And they said, well it was ordered during the first Trump Administration, but Joe Biden wouldn’t actually let us actually build it.”

Border Patrol Roundtable introduction was live streamed by various media, before VP Vance closed the doors for a private conversation between Federal and State leaders

VANCE OPENS REMARKS AT SHELBY PARK: “The border crisis has become a matter of National Intelligence, and it’s also become something that requires the Department of Defense to engage.”

VANCE PRAISES TRUMP, BLAMES BIDEN: “The bad news is that because of what Joe Biden did at the Southern Border for 4 years, we had record increases in migrant crime, in fentanyl deaths, and just floods and floods of people who shouldn’t be in our country who came into the United States of America… The good news is as president trump said last night, at the state of the union, it turns out we didn’t need new laws, we didn’t need fancy legislation, we just needed a new president of the united states and thank god that’s exactly what we have.”

VANCE APPRECIATES BORDER PATROL: “The most heartening message that I take away from my visit here at the Texas border is the number of border patrol agents who have come up to me and said thank you, or said, because of this, we’ve cut the number of border crossings from 1500 a day to 30 a day. Or the people who’ve come up and said, we’ve seen a reduction in 85% of the number of people who are dying at the American southern border.”

HEGSETH QUOTES TRUMP: “Border security is national security.”

HEGSETH REPORTS THE NUMBERS: “It’s been incredible to hear from our partners, about what we have been able to allow them to do, facilitate them, and we have seen it in the numbers. 98% drop in crossings on the southern border. We’re not yet at 100% operational control, but we are on our way because that is the mandate that the president has given us.”

HEGSETH PROMISES MORE RESOURCES: “More resources are coming to this border. We are dedicated to securing it. That’s the reason for our trip and our partnership, and I want to thank all the men and women in uniform who have been doing it recently, who have been doing it a long time, right here, who have dedicated their lives to securing the American people.” 

DNI Tulsi Gabbard shown speaking at the Eagle Pass, Shelby Park press conference

GABBARD SHARES CLEAR MISSION: “Our objective is to keep the American people safe.”

GABBARD UNIFIES NATIONAL INTELLIGENCE: “Working with the Department of Homeland Security, working with the FBI, to ensure that we’re keeping the American people safe. Our counterterrorism center is working on making sure that we have that single source for vetting, so that we can figure out who is actually in our country and identify those who pose a threat and get them removed.”

VANCE CLOSES WITH THANKS: “From the bottom of my heart, and from a grateful nation, to every person I’ve met here today, thank you for working hard on the American people’s business. It’s been an honor to be with you. It’s been an honor to see what you do, and we’re going to keep on supporting you for the next four years.” 

Connect Del Rio was invited by Air Force and White House public affairs offices to provide media coverage of the VPOTUS visit to Del Rio. Connect Del Rio attended the Air Force Two arrival at Laughlin and reviewed footage of Eagle Pass events that followed. Time stamps provided on the agenda above are approximate. Article information was sourced from briefs provided by the White House, firsthand witness accounts, and C-SPAN coverage.