Mexico’s Navy announced the deployment of nearly 160 ground troops to its side of the border in Tamaulipas, a move that comes days after the U.S. government sent hundreds of military personnel to the Rio Grande Valley following a Gulf Cartel attack on U.S. Coast Guard vessels, according to Breitbart Texas.
The shooting occurred in late September when gunmen from the cartel-controlled city of Miguel Alemán opened fire on U.S. Coast Guard boats patrolling the Rio Grande. The city has long served as a smuggling corridor for the Gulf Cartel, a designated terrorist organization that has maintained its grip on the region despite repeated attempts by rival groups to seize control. Mexican authorities have largely been unable to restore security there.
U.S. Responds with Troop Surge
In the wake of the attack, the U.S. Department of War announced the deployment of hundreds of service members to the border under Operation Unified Resolve, part of the broader Operation Ardent Vanguard. A statement obtained by Breitbart Texas on September 2 said the operation aims to “rapidly reinforce U.S. forces and federal partners operating in the Rio Grande Valley.”
Joint Task Force-Southern Border said the repositioning would “increase patrol capacity, reinforce key areas, provide additional monitoring and detections capabilities, and reinforce security of critical location in support of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” The task force framed the effort as part of ongoing military support for protecting U.S. sovereignty at the southern border.
Mexico’s Joint Response
Mexico’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Navy issued a joint statement outlining plans to send 159 ground troops, 11 vehicles, and two drones to the Mexican side of the border in Tamaulipas. The statement emphasized that the relationship between the two countries is guided by “the four pillars of the Government of Mexico’s binational policy: respect for sovereignty, shared responsibility, mutual trust, and cooperation without subordination.”
The deployment appears to be an attempt by Mexico to save face after the U.S. acted unilaterally, according to Breitbart Texas. Mexican officials have not commented on the cartel’s continued impunity in the region.
Cartel Impunity Persists
Despite the Mexican government’s claims of improved security, the Gulf Cartel continues to operate with near-total freedom throughout Tamaulipas. Miguel Alemán has seen multiple cross-border shootings in which gunmen attack U.S. authorities in response to U.S. enforcement efforts. The ability of a terrorist organization to move teams of gunmen with impunity stands in direct contrast to assertions by Mexican state and federal officials that security and enforcement have improved.
Breitbart Texas has consistently reported on the cartel’s control of the region, including the September attack on U.S. Coast Guard boats. The shooting prompted the U.S. military surge and now Mexico’s naval deployment, highlighting the ongoing volatility along the border.
Ildefonso Ortiz, Bob Price, and Brandon Darby contributed to this report.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/border/2026/10/05/mexico-deploys-naval-troops-after-u-s-sends-soldiers-to-border-following-cartel-shooting/