CIUDAD JUÁREZ, Mexico — On Wednesday, a fleet of trucks belonging to the Mexican National Guard and Army made their way along the border between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas. This deployment is part of a larger initiative involving 10,000 troops sent by Mexico to bolster its northern border in response to tariff threats made by then-President Donald Trump.
National Guard personnel, equipped and masked, were observed examining the brush near the border barrier on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez. They were seen retrieving makeshift ladders and ropes concealed within the trenches and loading them onto trucks. Alongside these actions, patrols were reported in other border areas, including Tijuana.
This military response follows a week of tensions after Trump postponed the imposition of severe tariffs on Mexico for at least a month. In a reciprocal agreement, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum committed to deploying the National Guard to strengthen border security and combat fentanyl trafficking.
Despite a noticeable decrease in both migration rates and fentanyl-related overdoses over the past year, Trump declared an emergency at the border. In response to this situation, the U.S. government pledged to undertake measures aimed at preventing firearms from being trafficked into Mexico, which contribute to the ongoing violence associated with cartels seeking to dominate the profitable migrant smuggling operations.
On Tuesday, the initial group of troops arrived in various border cities, having disembarked from government aircraft. Members of the National Guard on patrol confirmed their participation in this new deployment on Wednesday.
According to official statistics, Ciudad Juárez is set to receive at least 1,650 soldiers, making it one of the largest recipients of border reinforcements in the nation, just behind Tijuana, where 1,949 troops are scheduled to arrive.
During a recent visit to Latin America by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, where migration was a priority discussion point, he expressed gratitude to the Mexican government for their cooperation in sending these forces, as indicated by a statement from the Mexican administration.
Observers have interpreted Sheinbaum’s negotiations as a clever political strategy on the part of the newly elected leader. Her ability to effectively manage relations with the Trump administration had been a point of skepticism for many, especially in contrast to her predecessor and ally, former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
