Mexico To Send 10,000 Troops To The Border To 'Prevent Drug Trafficking' As Part Of Agreement To Pause Tariffs

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced on Monday that her administration will send 10,000 troops to the border it shares with the U.S. to "prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, particularly fentanyl," as part of the agreement that puts tariffs announced by President Donald Trump on hold for 30 days.

The agreement also includes the U.S. committing to "work to prevent the trafficking of of high-caliber weapons" to Mexico" and for teams from both countries to start working "today" on two matters: security and trade.

Sheinbaum had argued on Sunday that tariffs wouldn't help fight drug trafficking, inviting the Trump administration to work together on the matter instead. "The use and distribution of drugs is in their country and is a public health matter they never addressed. Why don't they ask themselves what is the reason for so much drug use for such a long time?" Sheinbaum said.

Trump, in contrast, had said Mexico was not doing enough to curb immigration and the smuggling of drugs into the country, claiming it was the main reason for his decision to impose tariffs on the country.

Sheinbaum had announced tariff and non-tariff measures in response to Trump's announcement of the tariff implementation on Saturday. The announcement comes a day before tariffs were set to go into effect on Tuesday.

The 10,000 Mexican troops will help beef up the amount of boots on the ground in the area, following the Trump administration's decision to send up to the same amount to its side of the border.

It is part of an "unrestrained request" for military assistance, including providing additional resources, personnel, and technology to CBP. The memo also discusses the possibility of using DoD bases as temporary detention facilities for migrants awaiting deportation.

The document also lays out plans to expand the detention capacity of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), saying the agency is requesting 14 new facilities to hold up to 1,000 detainees each, plus four larger facilities capable of housing up to 10,000 migrants.

The Department of Defense also announced plans to provide military airlift support for deportation flights. DHS will provide in-flight law enforcement to oversee these deportations.

The move represents a significant expansion of military involvement in border enforcement, which has traditionally been limited to operational and administrative roles.