Suspected Mexican drug cartel allegedly shoot at US agents in Texas
3 Min Read
US Authorities have launched a patrol drone while the Texas Department of Public Safety surveyed the area, whereas Mexican military assets were reportedly organizing on the opposite side of the border.
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Members of the Mexican National Guard patrol next to the US-Mexico border wall on Saturday, January 25, 2025, in Tijuana, Mexico. (AP)
US Border Patrol agents near Fronton, Texas, reportedly engaged in a gunfire exchange with suspected Mexican drug cartel members at the southern border.
No injuries were reported in the incident, which occurred near Fronton Island, an uninhabited area in the Rio Grande located in Starr County, Texas. The island is a contested territory claimed by both Texas and Mexico.
The area has seen several shootout incidents from the suspected cartel's side over the past years, but tensions have majorly escalated after the election of US President Donald Trump, NewsNation reported.
Meanwhile, Fox News's Bill Melugin said that "Border Patrol agents near Fronton, TX were fired upon from MX by suspected cartel gunmen as a group of illegal aliens were being brought across the river. I'm told BP returned fire, nobody hit on either side, and that the illegal aliens did not make it across," in a post on X.
BREAKING: Per multiple law enforcement sources, within the last hour, Border Patrol agents near Fronton, TX were fired upon from MX by suspected cartel gunmen as a group of illegal aliens were being brought across the river. I’m told BP returned fire, nobody hit on either side,…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 27, 2025
He also stated that authorities launched a patrol drone while the Texas Department of Public Safety surveyed the area, whereas Mexican military assets were reportedly organizing on the opposite side of the river.
BREAKING: Texas DPS releases drone footage showing the cartel gunmen suspected of shooting at U.S. Border Patrol agents in the RGV earlier today. The men can be seen armed with rifles, and appear to aim at the TX DPS drone. https://t.co/QFkLowNIGj
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 28, 2025
Cartels may be designated 'terrorist organizations'
Shortly after the news broke, Texas Governor Greg Abbott shared a video of the Texas Tactical Border Force being sent to the Rio Grande Valley to support Border Patrol agents. "Texas is working closely with the Trump Administration to secure the border and make America safe again," he said in a post on X.
Jorge Ventura, a national correspondent for NewsNation, posted a video from the scene, reporting the presence of at least three law enforcement agencies: Starr County Sheriff's deputies, Texas state troopers, and Border Patrol agents. Authorities informed Ventura that the situation remained "dangerous and fluid."
It is noteworthy that Trump's team was revisiting plans to designate Mexican cartels as "terrorist organizations", a scheme that did not materialize during his first term, CNN reported, citing three sources familiar with the discussions.
In late 2019, Trump nearly designated Mexican cartels as "terrorist groups" but refrained at the request of then-Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. Within Trump’s Justice Department, the idea faced significant opposition from career officials and political appointees alike.
Since assuming office last week, Trump has launched an extensive crackdown on illegal immigration, signing an abundance of executive orders that enable mass deportations and revive some of his first-term policies. One of these orders classifies Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations.
