Mexico has begun deploying military personnel to its northern border following President Claudia Sheinbaum’s commitment to President Donald Trump to increase security and combat drug trafficking.

“The troop deployment has begun. Soldiers are being moved from areas with lower security concerns to the border,” Sheinbaum announced on February 4.

The deployment comes just one day after Sheinbaum’s phone call with Trump, during which she persuaded him to delay tariffs on Mexican imports for one month. In exchange, Mexico agreed to tighten border controls, particularly to stop the smuggling of fentanyl into the U.S.

Mexico Moves Thousands of Troops to the Border

As part of the 10,000-troop deployment Sheinbaum promised Trump, hundreds of National Guard members boarded military planes in the southeastern city of Merida, bound for the U.S.-Mexico border.

Troops have also been sent to:

• Tijuana (south of California)
• Ciudad Juarez (bordering Texas)

“Soldiers will patrol the entire U.S.-Mexico border as well as major routes leading to it,” said Jose Luis Santos, a coordinator for the Mexican National Guard in Ciudad Juarez.

Joint U.S.-Mexico Border Security Operations

Mexican and U.S. authorities launched a joint operation in Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, searching for tunnels used for smuggling drugs and illegal border crossings.

On February 4, they discovered a storm drain tunnel, though it did not extend into U.S. territory, according to Chihuahua state officials.

Last month, security agencies from both nations found a hidden tunnel running from Ciudad Juarez to El Paso, Texas. The passage stretched 300 meters on the Mexican side and was camouflaged within the city's drainage system.

Mexico’s Efforts to Curb Fentanyl and Migration

Mexico has repeatedly assured both the Trump and Biden administrations that it is working to curb fentanyl smuggling and illegal migration into the U.S.

In recent months, Mexican border states have tightened security, including the deployment of thousands of troops to reduce illegal crossings and disrupt drug cartels.

Despite these efforts, Trump signed an order on February 1 imposing a 25% tariff on Mexican imports, citing insufficient efforts by Mexico to stop fentanyl trafficking.

The one-month tariff suspension allows further negotiations between the U.S. and Mexico on border security measures.

(Sources: AFP, Reuters)