On Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Mexico initiated the deployment of 10,000 troops to its border with the United States as part of an agreement to prevent US President Donald Trump from imposing a 25% tariff on Mexican goods. The objective of the National Guard members is to control drug trafficking into the United States, according to the agreement reached by the presidents of both countries.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed the deployment during her daily press conference, stating that the soldiers were mobilized from other states with less pressing security needs. The plan, designed by Division General Ricardo Trevilla, ensures that the National Guard members going to the northern border were stationed in areas with minimal security concerns. Sheinbaum emphasized that the deployment does not leave the rest of the country without security.
Since early morning, Mexican media reported the mobilization of military personnel and National Guard members to various cities along the US border, including Tijuana and Matamoros. These actions follow the agreement between Sheinbaum and Trump for a one-month pause on the tariffs announced by the US president in exchange for Mexico deploying 10,000 soldiers to the border.
The tariffs are a concern for Mexico, being the largest trading partner of the United States, with exports to the country valued at $490.183 billion in 2023, nearly 30% of Mexico's gross domestic product (GDP). This represents over 80% of Mexican exports, making the tariffs a significant blow to the second-largest economy in Latin America after Brazil.