The Silent War: AI Dives Deep to Secure the US-Mexico Border

HONG KONG – February 24, 2026 – Far below the waves of the Eastern Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico, a silent, high-tech war is escalating. As land-based security tightens along the nearly 2,000-mile US-Mexico border, criminal organizations are increasingly exploiting the vast, unmonitored depths of the ocean. This underwater frontier has become the new frontline in the fight against illicit smuggling, prompting a surge in demand for advanced technology to see what lies beneath.

In fiscal year 2025, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) recorded over 443,000 encounters at the southwest border, but the more telling statistics are emerging from the sea. U.S. Coast Guard operations, like the recent Pacific Viper, have interdicted over 100,000 pounds of contraband in the Eastern Pacific alone. The smugglers' tools of choice are no longer just go-fast boats; they are increasingly sophisticated semi-submersible vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs), and covert diver operations designed to evade surface-level radar and patrols.

This dramatic shift is fueling a booming market. The global underwater security sector, valued at approximately $8.4 billion in 2024, is projected to nearly double to $15.6 billion by 2035. This growth reflects a technological arms race where sonar, acoustic intelligence, and AI-driven surveillance are becoming indispensable weapons for nations to protect their ports, coastal assets, and critical offshore installations.

A Strategic Pivot from Clicks to Security

Entering this high-stakes arena is Jeffs' Brands Ltd. (NASDAQ: JFBR), a company making a significant strategic pivot from its origins as an e-commerce operator on the Amazon Marketplace. Through its wholly-owned subsidiary, KeepZone AI Inc., the company is diversifying into the global homeland security sector, a move that has caught the attention of market watchers.

This transition comes at a challenging time for the company, which has seen its stock price decline and is reportedly navigating a period of high cash burn. However, Jeffs' Brands is betting that the long-term growth in the security sector will outweigh the risks. KeepZone AI has been actively forging partnerships, aiming to become a “one-stop shop” for integrated security solutions. It has already secured distribution agreements for AI-powered radar screening systems, aerostat surveillance platforms, and counter-drone solutions.

Its latest and perhaps most ambitious move is an exclusive reseller agreement with DSIT Solutions Ltd., a renowned Israeli specialist in underwater domain awareness. The partnership targets the burgeoning security market in Mexico, aiming to equip government agencies and energy operators with advanced systems to detect underwater intrusions. Alon Dayan, CEO of KeepZone AI, highlighted the mission's focus in a recent statement, emphasizing the importance of “closing gaps below the waterline, where traditional surveillance falls short.”

Mexico’s High-Stakes Maritime Frontier

The choice to focus on Mexico is no accident. The nation's maritime domain is a microcosm of the threats facing the entire region. Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), the state-owned oil company, has seen its offshore platforms in the Bay of Campeche repeatedly targeted by armed criminal groups. These modern-day pirates arrive in their own boats to steal equipment, tools, and breathing apparatus, disrupting operations and endangering workers. This phenomenon, an extension of the onshore fuel theft known as huachicoleo, underscores the severe vulnerabilities of critical energy infrastructure.

The Mexican Navy (Semar) is already stretched thin, providing support to PEMEX while also combating smuggling along its vast coastlines. For these agencies, the ability to detect a threat—be it a team of divers approaching an oil rig or a UUV on a smuggling run—before it surfaces is a game-changer. This is precisely the capability that the KeepZone AI and DSIT Solutions partnership aims to provide, offering systems designed to protect ports, anchorages, and offshore platforms from sabotage and other covert threats.

The Technology and the Crowded Field of Play

At the heart of the partnership is the technology of DSIT Solutions. A subsidiary of the Israeli defense giant RAFAEL Advanced Defense Systems, DSIT has over two decades of experience in sonar acoustics. Its flagship product, the AquaShield™ Diver Detection Sonar (DDS), is designed to provide long-range detection and classification of underwater targets with an exceptionally low rate of false alarms, a critical feature in the noisy and complex littoral environment.

However, Jeffs' Brands and KeepZone AI are not entering an empty market. The border and maritime security space is a crowded field populated by established defense and technology giants. Other NASDAQ-listed firms are already deeply embedded in this sector:

• 908 Devices Inc. (NASDAQ: MASS) provides portable chemical analyzers used by the U.S. Coast Guard for on-the-spot narcotics interdiction.
• OSI Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: OSIS) supplies the large-scale X-ray and gamma-ray scanners that inspect cargo at ports and border crossings, in addition to providing advanced navigation systems for naval warships and submarines.
• Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ: ESLT), another Israeli powerhouse, offers everything from integrated border surveillance towers to unmanned surface vessels designed for anti-submarine warfare.
• AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV) provides the aerial “eyes in the sky” with its unmanned aerial systems that complement maritime patrols.

As criminal networks continue to innovate, with reports of increasingly sophisticated underwater tunnels and more aggressive tactics during high-seas interdictions, the reliance on technology will only intensify. The success of companies like Jeffs' Brands will depend on their ability to integrate these disparate technologies into a cohesive, multi-domain security shield. This strategic push into the deep represents a significant bet on a future where the most critical battles for border security may be fought and won in the silent world beneath the waves.