Texas Border Agents Warned of Major Mexican Cartel Attack

Border Patrol agents in Texas have been placed on high alert after a memo warned of potential attacks from the Mexican side of the border.

A memo obtained by NewsNationfrom the Rio Grande Valley Sector Operations Center warns agents in the sector about an alleged plan by an organized group based in Matamoros, Mexico, to deploy a shooter targeting U.S. law enforcement or military personnel from across the border.

Newsweek has contacted Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for comment.

Why It Matters

President Donald Trump made immigration a central theme of his campaign. Americans largely support immigration reform overall but disagree about how policies such as deportations should be carried out.

Trump signed an executive order on Day 1 designating Mexican drug cartels and other Latin American criminal groups like the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) as terrorist organizations.

Trump's order states that these groups, "threaten the safety of the American people, the security of the United States, and the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere."

What To Know

The memo also indicates that the group allegedly attempted to create the illusion of U.S. government involvement in the shooting.

Agents have been advised to wear ballistic armor and travel in groups because of the increasing likelihood of attacks.

"The Rio Grande Valley Sector Operations Center (RGV OPEN) received information indicating that an organized group operating out of Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, is allegedly planning to use a subject who will remain in Mexico to shoot at a U.S. Government, Law enforcement, or Military official on the U.S. side of the border," the memo reads.

It comes amid the Department of Justice's launch of a broad directive to dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations under Attorney General Pam Bondi.

On her first day in office, Bondi issued several orders reallocating Justice Department resources to support Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration and pledge to eradicate foreign drug cartels.

Two weeks ago, suspected cartel members fired on Border Patrol agents in Fronton, Texas, from across the Mexican border. Drone footage from the Texas Department of Public Safety shows the suspects fleeing after the attack.

What People Are Saying

Representative Keith Self of Texas, in a video on X, formerly Twitter: "I've just been made aware of this memo that apparently the cartels are going to have a shooter shoot across the border at law enforcement or military officers, trying to make it look as though the government of Mexico is involved. Look, we have President Trump in office now. President Trump will hit back hard.

"I recommend you do not do this because if you remember back to the Middle East, President Trump had the third-ranking man in Iran killed because one contractor died. He will hit back hard. I recommend you don't do this."

What Happens Next

Republicans, led by Trump, will continue clamping down on the cartels as they look to curb the flow of drugs entering the country.