Mexico’s government sent hundreds of soldiers to the southern border with the United States on Tuesday as part of an agreement with President Donald Trump.
This move comes after Mexico and the Trump administration hammered out an agreement that would halt tariffs on Mexican products if Mexico cracks down on fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration into the U.S. Reuters reported that Mexican soldiers will be placed in “hot spots” where illegals attempt to enter the U.S.
The Mexican troops will be posted to hot spots along the border with high rates of illegal migration and drug and weapons trafficking, including the border states of Baja California, Sonora and Tamaulipas, said three military and government officials with knowledge of the plan.
The plan to eventually deploy 10,000 Mexican soldiers forms part of a deal announced on Monday under which U.S. President Donald Trump paused his threat of 25% tariffs on Mexican imports. Mexico had vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs.
The U.S. also agreed to stop the flow of firearms into Mexico. These guns have regularly fallen into the hands of drug cartels.
There might be a period of adjustment for Mexico as its National Guard forces are only a few years old, according to The New York Times.
The deal is likely to put a lot of pressure on the National Guard, a force that is just a few years old and was recently put under the control of Mexico’s military.
Unlike in the United States, there is no dedicated border patrol in Mexico. Because immigration officers are barred from carrying guns, Mexico relies on the military and National Guard to police the border, said Jonathan Maza, a Mexico-based security analyst.
In recent years, Mexico has relied heavily on the National Guard to help curb illegal migration into the United States. In 2019, under pressure from Mr. Trump over migration, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the country’s then-president and Ms. Sheinbaum’s mentor, sent National Guard troops to Mexico’s southern border with Guatemala.
Some on the left have tried to diminish Trump’s accomplishment, pointing out that Mexico already had troops on the ground. However, as CNN’s Scott Jennings pointed out, the current agreement requires Mexico to permanently keep these troops in the area to combat fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.
Jennings: He got permanent troops.
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 4, 2025
Rampell: Do you know how many troops Mexico had on the border last year? 15,000. Is 10,000 more than 15,000? pic.twitter.com/7LoaXsLsJN
Trump negotiated a similar deal with Canada. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Monday that Canada is implementing its $1.3 billion plan to “stop the flow of fentanyl,” noting that “Nearly 10,000 frontline personnel are and will be working on protecting the border.”
This was the plan back in December before Trump took office, but Canada agreed to take additional measures in exchange for halting tariffs.
I just had a good call with President Trump. Canada is implementing our $1.3 billion border plan — reinforcing the border with new choppers, technology and personnel, enhanced coordination with our American partners, and increased resources to stop the flow of fentanyl. Nearly…
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) February 3, 2025
These deals are a part of President Trump’s mission to curb illegal immigration and decrease overdose deaths due to fentanyl, which has already claimed hundreds of thousands of lives over the past four years as the border crisis worsened.