U.S. Army Shifts Hundreds of Soldiers to Rio Grande Valley as Officials Cite Cartel Activity

The Rio Grande Valley is, the main source of water for border communities. Brandon Bell/Getty Images The U.S. Army is moving hundreds of additional soldiers into the Rio Grande Valley this month, part of a broader border deployment that officials say responds to increased cartel activity.

The soldiers are being shifted from other locations along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to The Associated Press. The move does not necessarily mean the Army is adding hundreds of troops to its overall border force. The Army has about 8,000 soldiers deployed along the entire border, the AP reported.

The troop movement comes as U.S. and Mexican forces increase activity near the Texas border. The AP reported that U.S. officials cited signs of elevated drug cartel activity in the region, while Mexico sent 500 National Guard and military personnel to the state of Tamaulipas this month. Mexican officials said that deployment was based on intelligence about criminal groups’ movements.

The soldiers are being reassigned from elsewhere along the border, and the Army has been highlighting its operations in the region. The operations includes surveillance and physical barriers.

In Roma, Texas, soldiers monitor the river alongside Border Patrol agents, while the area has barriers, concertina wire and aerial surveillance. Army officials also described efforts to detect and disrupt cartel-operated drones used for surveillance and drug trafficking.

The Army’s focus on drones follows a recent push to test counter-drone technology along the southern border. Reuters reported that the military detected 378 drone incursions in a 30-day period, according to an Army official, and had used laser technology to down 11 drones since August. The systems are intended to detect, track and stop small unmanned aircraft that officials say cartels use for surveillance linked to smuggling and human trafficking.

The expanded operations follow a September incident near Garceno, Texas, when Coast Guard personnel said they encountered gunfire from the Mexican side of the border and returned fire. No U.S. personnel were injured, and the Coast Guard did not identify who fired the shots, The Washington Post reported. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Mexico’s armed forces had not detected gunfire crossing the border and asked the United States to provide evidence.

The two countries began coordinated “mirror operations” along the Texas-Tamaulipas border on Oct. 4, according to the Post. Mexico’s deployment included helicopters, drones and anti-drone equipment.

The troop increase is unfolding as the administration’s border policy faces political scrutiny. The AP reported that some experts questioned whether the military buildup is necessary, noting that illegal crossings had already fallen amid asylum restrictions introduced before President Donald Trump returned to office. The report also said critics view the troop presence as political theater ahead of November’s midterm elections.

Military officials have pointed to the presence of people attempting to cross the river and the threat posed by cartel drones as reasons for continued operations. The latest shift concentrates more soldiers in the Rio Grande Valley while U.S. and Mexican forces coordinate security efforts on both sides of the border.