Donald Trump's immigration crackdown threatens border war with cartels as gunfight breaks out
Donald Trump's immigration crackdown threatens border war with cartels as gunfight breaks out
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One of Mexico’s most notorious drug cartels opened fire at US Border Patrol as Donald Trump’s new immigration crackdown threatened to explode into an all out drugs war. Narco lords operating near Fronton, Texas, had attempted to smuggle migrants across the Rio Grande River into the States when they were spotted by drone. Footage released by Texas authorities later showed armed individuals patrolling the riverbank, reinforcing concerns about cartel involvement in human smuggling operations.
Officials say cartel gunmen, armed and intent on protecting their smuggling operation, fired on the agents. The agents returned fire, but no injuries were reported on either side. The gunfight, which occurred along the US-Mexico border, highlights escalating tensions just a week after Trump returned to office and implemented sweeping immigration policies.
The confrontation demonstrated the heightened risks at the southern border following the president’s renewed focus on curbing illegal immigration. The gunfight came in the wake of Trump’s signing of 21 executive orders aimed at intensifying border security and deportation efforts.
Among the orders was the declaration of a national emergency at the border, which authorises the deployment of 1,500 additional military personnel to support Border Patrol agents. The president also formally designated Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, a move intended to grant US law enforcement broader authority to disrupt their operations.
