The empowerment of territorial officers plays a crucial role in supporting the Total People’s Defense System, particularly in border regions characterized by geographical, social, and institutional complexities. This study aims to analyze the empowerment of territorial officers, the interactions among territorial officers, local governments, and the community, as well as the factors that support and hinder its implementation in Merauke Regency. The study employs a qualitative approach with a descriptive-analytical case study design. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews, observations, and documentation, involving ten informants purposively selected from territorial officials, local government representatives, district and village officials, and community leaders. Data were analyzed through data condensation, data presentation, and the derivation and verification of conclusions. The results of the study indicate that the empowerment of territorial officials is supported by tiered policy communication, a clear organizational structure, the commitment of officials, coordination among various actors, and social legitimacy from the community. However, its implementation remains constrained by limitations in personnel, budget, operational resources, regional accessibility, infrastructure, and suboptimal cross-sectoral integration. Formal and informal interactions with local governments, local leaders, and the community strengthen officials’ ability to adapt policy implementation to the characteristics of border regions. This study expands the understanding of policy implementation by conceptualizing the empowerment of territorial officials as a relational and contextual implementation capacity, which emphasizes the interrelationship between organizational capacity, adaptive capabilities, cross-actor collaboration, public legitimacy, and the local context.