U.S. Coast Guard personnel exchanged gunfire with individuals on the Mexican side of the border, an incident the U.S. military later pointed to as evidence of increased illegal activity. The encounter came as hundreds of U.S. troops and military vehicles were moved to Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, while 500 Mexican Army and National Guard personnel were deployed on the Mexican side of the border.
Coast Guard personnel were intercepting migrants crossing the Rio Grande during a joint operation with other federal agencies when gunshots were fired from the Mexican side, officials said Friday, according to Stars and Stripes. The Coast Guard personnel returned fire.
The exchange took place Sept. 26 near Garceno, a small border community in Starr County, Texas, as federal agencies carried out coordinated operations in the area.
Coast Guard personnel exchanged gunfire with people on the Mexican side of the border. (Brenda Bazan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Coast Guard said it was investigating the incident with federal partners. Officials have not determined who fired the first shots.
“No injuries to Coast Guard or other personnel were reported, and no damage to Coast Guard assets or equipment was reported,” the agency said.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said the embassy “is helping to coordinate with Mexican forces that are being deployed in the border area where shots were fired against elements of the United States Coast Guard.”
“Mexican military commanders will communicate directly with the U.S. forces deployed. Together, we intend to patrol both sides of our shared border, protect our communities, and disrupt the operations of criminal and terrorist organizations. Any threat from criminal or terrorist elements on either side of the border will be addressed swiftly,” he added.
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The exchange took place Sept. 26 near Garceno, a small border community in Starr County, Texas, as federal agencies carried out coordinated operations in the area. (Brenda Bazan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Coast Guard began Operation River Wall in October 2025, adding personnel, boats and other equipment to patrol the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico. The agency said the operation would cover roughly 260 miles of the river along the U.S.-Mexico border.
The Coast Guard was working with Border Patrol, the Pentagon and the Texas Military Department “to secure the border, disrupt illicit activity and protect the American people,” according to a statement cited by Stars and Stripes.
“We will continue to leverage a layered, integrated approach to control, secure and defend the border that strengthens our collective ability to counter illicit activity and safeguard our personnel and the communities we serve,” the Coast Guard said.
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said the embassy “is helping to coordinate with Mexican forces that are being deployed in the border area where shots were fired against elements of the United States Coast Guard.” (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The U.S. military said Friday that hundreds of troops and their equipment had been sent to the Rio Grande Valley as part of planned preparations for “historically observed seasonal increases in attempted illegal activity.”
“The Sept. 26 Coast Guard encounter is an example of this uptick in illegal activity,” the Joint Task Force-Southern Border said in a statement.
