On August 8, President Donald Trump took a notable action by ordering U.S. troops to confront Mexican and other Latin American drug cartels, labeling these violent organizations as foreign terrorist groups just before the start of his second term.
This military deployment to, and perhaps beyond, our southern border is vital for national security. However, the situation may be more dire than most Americans understand. There are indications that corrupt elements within the Mexican military and law enforcement are actually aiding these cartels on U.S. soil.
Trump’s approach to border security is, I think, a stark contrast to what we saw during Joe Biden’s administration. It’s almost like failure was the goal. A strong border isn’t just about halting illegal entries; it’s equally about stopping the flow of deadly drugs and keeping criminals, terrorists, and hostile agents at bay.
Interestingly, from May to July, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) didn’t release any illegal immigrants along the border. In contrast, during the same three months in 2024, Biden’s administration reportedly allowed over 212,000 illegal immigrants to enter the U.S., often with vague promises to report to an immigration judge. Most of them simply vanished without following up.
Border security should encompass national safety concerns, not solely immigration. Six years back, the Texas Public Policy Foundation made a Freedom of Information Act request to DHS regarding the activities of Mexican military or law enforcement in U.S. territory or airspace. After a prolonged delay, the DHS finally responded in July 2025, following years of reduced transparency from the Biden administration.
A comprehensive review examined serious incidents over a period from 2014 to 2019, highlighting 190 incidents that spanned both the Obama and Trump administrations. Of these, 39 were significant, with the other half categorized as benign, such as pursuits or unauthorized surveillance by police. However, the more alarming findings indicated that Mexican authorities were deliberately breaching U.S. territory, perhaps due to corruption tied to drug trafficking.
Interestingly, only four of the confirmed incidents occurred at night, and most of those incidents didn’t raise alarms at the time. A former border patrol agent remarked that “the cartel owned the night,” hinting at the possibility of numerous covert incursions by Mexican officials supporting the cartels, but the DHS struggled to officially document these occurrences due to lack of clear identification. Additionally, Border Patrol’s engagement rules are quite restrictive; if Mexican military forces are identified, the rules often require agents to retreat.
One agent recounted being ordered to a vehicle, armed only with handguns, after detecting hostile military presence near the border. It’s unsettling to consider that ten armed men against two isn’t exactly fair odds.
The technological investment since Trump’s first term has improved capabilities significantly, utilizing nighttime thermal technology and aerial surveillance. Yet, logistical challenges remain—about a third of the surveillance cameras frequently malfunction, and only two border agents are available per mile along the southern border.
A troubling takeaway from the investigations is that despite the variety of threats, only one report over six years mentioned drone activity overhead from Mexican police. Last year alone, around 60,000 drones were sighted near the border—about 330 a day—serving key functions like monitoring border patrol movements while also limiting aerial surveillance operations.
We still haven’t uncovered the reasons behind a National Guard helicopter crash near Rio Grande last year, and now reports have emerged about Mexican cartels deploying tactics learned from combat in Ukraine, further highlighting the evolving threats.
The emergence of drug-related challenges on our southern border presents urgent national security risks that the DHS seems unable to manage singularly. Perhaps, targeted military interventions might be the solution to effectively address this armed incursion, sending a strong message to the Mexican authorities.
