Mexican National Guard members carry a ladder they found while on patrol along the Mexico-U.S. border in Ciudad Juarez in February 2025. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
THE WATCH STAFF
The commander of U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the Mexican national defense secretary have agreed to undertake cooperative patrols along the Mexico-U.S. border. The meeting between Gen. Gregory M. Guillot and Gen. Ricardo Trevilla Trejo underscored the increasing collaboration between the countries to secure the border and decrease illegal migration, gun trafficking and drug smuggling.
The mutual security of the 3,145-kilometer border was the focus of the February 2025 conversation between Guillot and Trevilla and resulted in a Joint Statement of Understanding between the continental neighbors and key partners. “General Trevilla and General Guillot agreed to conduct coordinated patrols on their respective side of the border, increase information sharing, and establish methods for immediate communications. The agreement emphasizes that each country will respect the sovereignty of the other,” stated a U.S. Department of Defense news release. “Both leaders expect their agreement will serve to enable further conversations and coordination in greater detail at varied levels to ensure the mutual security of the border.”
The cooperative patrols are the latest demonstration of an increasingly close working relationship and represent another important step in border security. Since January 2025, the U.S. has brought its troop strength to more than 10,000 at the border, bolstered intelligence gathering and sharing with Mexico and drastically reduced the flow of trafficking and the influence of transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) along the frontier. The Mexican government has also deployed 10,000 troops to secure its side of the border.
Illegal border crossings have decreased by 94% since January 2025, according to a Department of Defense news release. Troops have supported the activities of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (USCBP), gathered intelligence and fortified barriers along the border. Also, the U.S. government has designated Mexican cartels and TCOs as foreign terrorist organizations, “elevating them to the same threat level as ISIS or al-Qaeda,” according to the release.
A subsequent U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) memo directed federal prosecutors to pursue terrorism charges against Mexican TCOs, strengthening law enforcement measures beyond traditional drug trafficking and racketeering offenses. “By streamlining processes — suspending National Security Division approvals and fast-tracking terrorism-related warrants — the DOJ has empowered law enforcement to act swiftly against cartel leaders with penalties now including life imprisonment or the death penalty,” the release stated. “That legal overhaul complements a broader strategic pivot. While the administration continues to prioritize near-peer competitors like China and Russia, it has closed the gray area that cartels exploited for decades. The result is a unified approach that marshals the full weight of U.S. national security resources to dismantle these organizations that control over 80% of illegal drugs such as fentanyl entering the U.S. and earn billions from human trafficking.”
The legal steps have been complemented by boots on the ground. By March 1, 2025, the Defense Department had deployed more than 10,000 troops to the border. Significantly, the Defense Department sent a 4,400-Soldier Stryker brigade combat team and a 650-troop general support aviation battalion equipped with Stryker vehicles and Black Hawk and Chinook helicopters to “enhance detection, logistic and aerial support for Customs and Border Protection,” according to the release.
Troops have installed physical barriers and provided surveillance, freeing up Border Patrol agents to undertake stepped-up interdiction efforts, the release stated. The effort is being coordinated by a joint task force headed by USNORTHCOM and the Department of Homeland Security. USCBP Chief Mike Banks reported in March 2025 that unlawful crossings have dropped from 4,800 daily apprehensions to 285, according to the news release.