Mexico deploys 10,000 troops to US border in response to Trump's tariff threats

Mexico has begun deploying the 10,000 troops it promised to send to its northern border in response to President Donald Trump's tariff threats, as his administration intensifies its crackdown on border security.

Troops from the Mexican National Guard and Army were observed arriving at the border between Ciudad Juárez and El Paso, Texas, on February 5, Caliber.Az reports citing Western media outlets. 

The two largest deployment sites are Ciudad Juárez and Tijuana, where a total of at least 1,650 and 1,949 troops, respectively, are expected to be stationed, as reported by the Mexican government.

The deployment is part of a deal between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Trump to avoid a trade war. Hours before tariffs on Mexican imports were set to go into effect, Sheinbaum agreed to send troops to help stem the flow of drugs and illegal immigrants into the United States.

The agreement includes Trump's commitment to combat the trafficking of American firearms into Mexico, which are fueling cartel violence.

Mexican patrols were already active along the border near Tijuana on February 5, with service members spotted removing makeshift ladders and ropes from trenches on the outskirts of Ciudad Juárez.

"There will be permanent surveillance on the border," National Guard leader José Luis Santos Iza told reporters as the first soldiers arrived. "This operation is primarily to prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, mainly fentanyl."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, currently on a diplomatic trip through Latin America, expressed gratitude to the Mexican government for sending troops to the border, according to a statement from Mexico.

By Khagan Isayev