Mexico is immediately deploying thousands of troops to the U.S. southern border in response to President Donald Trump’s tariffs against the country’s imports.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Monday announced she is immediately deploying 10,000 National Guard soldiers to the southern border to help mitigate the flow of drugs and illegal immigration through the U.S.-Mexico border. In exchange, the Trump administration will pause its 25% tariff on Mexican imports for one month and work to quell the flow of arms south of the border.
Mexico’s sudden willingness to meet Trump’s demands coincides with an illicit fentanyl epidemic that has rocked the U.S., with over 21,000 pounds of the drug being seized at the southern border during the final year of the Biden administration, according to Customs and Border Protection data. The country has also served as a major conduit for millions of migrants to illegally traverse into the U.S., and more recently allowed a record-setting number of migrant encounters to take place with Border Patrol agents.
“We had a good conversation with President Trump with great respect for our relationship and sovereignty; we reached a series of agreements,” Sheinbaum stated on social media. “1. Mexico will immediately reinforce the northern border with 10,000 members of the National Guard to prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, particularly fentanyl.”
“2. The United States is committed to working to prevent the trafficking of high-powered weapons to Mexico,” she continued. “3. Our teams will begin working today on two fronts: security and trade.”
The announcement followed confirmation by the White House Friday that both Mexican and Canadian imports would be hit with a 25% tariff beginning Feb. 1, until both countries do more to stop illegal immigration and illicit drugs from entering the U.S. While its activity remains far below its southern counterpart, unlawful crossings at the northern border also spiked over 1,000% under the Biden administration.
The administration is also imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese goods for the Communist government’s role in allowing fentanyl largely made from precursor chemicals from Chinese companies to be trafficked to drug cartels and then piped into the country. Beijing is already preparing to meet at the negotiating table and is reportedly looking to revive a 2020 proposal that would require them to increase purchases of American goods by roughly $200 billion.
The number of Americans dying from fentanyl, which is a synthetic opioid, has increased substantially since 1999, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Roughly 108,000 people died from a drug overdose in 2022, with around 82,000 of those deaths involving opioids.
Just one kilogram of fentanyl can kill up to half a million people, according to the Drug Enforcement Administration.
When reached for comment by the Daily Caller News Foundation, a spokesperson pointed to Trump’s post on social media confirming the deal.
“I just spoke with President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico,” the president posted on Truth Social. “It was a very friendly conversation wherein she agreed to immediately supply 10,000 Mexican Soldiers on the Border separating Mexico and the United States.”
“These soldiers will be specifically designated to stop the flow of fentanyl, and illegal migrants into our Country,” he continued. “We further agreed to immediately pause the anticipated tariffs for a one month period during which we will have negotiations headed by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent, and Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and high-level Representatives of Mexico.”
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