The governments of the United States and Mexico have agreed to coordinate patrols on either side of their common border, share more information, and establish immediate communication methods, according to the U.S. Department of Defense on Wednesday. This agreement is the result of a meeting between the head of U.S. Northern Command, General Gregory Guillot, and Mexico's Secretary of Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, on cooperation in security matters, indicated in a statement by the chief of staff of the U.S. Defense, Joseph Kasper.
"General Trevilla and General Guillot agreed to carry out coordinated patrols on their respective sides of the border, increase shared information, and establish immediate communication methods," explained the note. "The agreement emphasizes that each country will respect the sovereignty of the other."
The meeting between the military leaders concluded with the signing of a "joint understanding agreement" regarding their cooperation at the border and the expectation that this will lead to "more discussions and coordination in greater detail at various levels to ensure mutual security at the border."
U.S. immigration authorities reported yesterday an 85% reduction in crossings at the southern border with Mexico during the first 11 days of Donald Trump's second term, which began on January 20, compared to the same period in 2024. The Customs and Border Protection (CBP) linked the decrease in illegal entry attempts to Trump's new executive measures, although border crossings have declined since June 2024, when former President Joe Biden (2021-2025) issued greater restrictions on asylum.
On the same day that Trump assumed office, he declared a national emergency at the border with Mexico and deployed 15,000 military personnel to "secure" that border and repel those "forms of invasion." Mexico, for its part, deployed 10,000 National Guard members to the border with the U.S. in early February in exchange for pausing the 25% blanket tariffs on Mexican products that Trump threatened.
