Mexico sends troops after US says shots fired across border

MEXICO CITY — In response to claims by the United States that shots were fired across the border, Mexico has dispatched 500 troops to its southern border with Texas, President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday. The military deployment took place in Tamaulipas state, a region where the violent drug cartels, particularly the Northeast and Gulf cartels, are engaged in a power struggle. Both cartels are designated as foreign terrorist organizations by the United States, a classification they received in February 2025.

During a regular press briefing, Sheinbaum stated that the United States reported having been shot at from the Mexican side of the border. However, she noted that the U.S. administration failed to provide any evidence to support this claim. Mexico proceeded with the deployment of troops along the Rio Grande nonetheless. U.S. Ambassador Ronald Johnson, in a tweet on X, confirmed that U.S. Coast Guard personnel had been fired upon.

Johnson added that the newly arrived Mexican forces would coordinate closely with their American counterparts.

"We intend to patrol both sides of our shared border, protect our communities, and make it more difficult for criminal and terrorist organizations to operate," Johnson asserted in his tweet, emphasizing that the joint effort aims to strengthen border security and curb criminal activities. Since returning to power in 2025, President Donald Trump has been actively pressuring Mexico to tighten its border control measures.