A joint military exercise conducted by US and Mexican forces along the border near El Paso and Ciudad Juarez Thursday marks a significant escalation in bilateral efforts to counter cartel operations.
The operation, described as a “mirror” patrol, involved armored MRAP vehicles, all-terrain units, horse-mounted personnel, and helicopter insertions. Military gunners stood ready on truck-mounted weapons along both sides of the border.
The exercise follows renewed pressure from President Trump’s administration to address the flow of drugs and migrants at the southern border. Mexico has agreed to deploy its military alongside US forces in response to this push.
The operation takes place in an area historically plagued by cartel violence, including the territory where the Juárez Cartel operates. The Juárez Cartel was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the US Department of State last month, joining other groups like the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel on Washington’s blacklist.
US Border Patrol official Hamid Nikseresht stated: “Our message has been and will always be very clear: if you have engaged with terrorist activity, you will face severe legal and immigration consequences.”
Colombia also signaled a potential shift in its approach to cartel-related threats. New President Abelardo de la Espriella reportedly authorized joint military operations against narco-terrorist networks and has joined the Americas Counter-Cartel Coalition.
The exercises occur amid heightened tensions as the US Administration intensifies efforts to reclassify cartels as terrorist organizations and employ military force in combating them. Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently designated the Juárez Cartel and Los Viagras as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
White House homeland security adviser Stephen Miller previously stated that “there is not a criminal justice solution to the cartel problem,” emphasizing military force over legal approaches. Secretary of War Hegseth has also emphasized the existential threat posed by cartels, noting Latin American nations face an essential test regarding their identity as Western and Christian countries.
Border Patrol Chief Jesse Munoz noted: “This cartel has been terrorizing both sides of the border for decades.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who initially resisted Trump’s calls for military action against cartels, appears to have shifted her stance following the joint exercise.
