On Monday afternoon, a suspected Mexican cartel member fired a gunshot from the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border toward U.S. Border Patrol agents in Fronton, Texas. The agents returned multiple shots into Mexico. No Border Patrol agents were injured in the incident.
— AmericanFaith (@americanfaith) January 28, 2025
BREAKING NOW: Cartel members have open fired on border agents in Fronton, TX. The cartel was suspected of smuggling illegal immigrants across the river.
THIS is why President Trump has labelled the cartels as terrorist organizations. pic.twitter.com/no0jBBLGYP
Fronton, located in the Rio Grande Valley of southeastern Texas, is an area known for illegal immigration and drug smuggling, with multiple Mexican cartels exerting influence. According to sources familiar with the situation, a “green light” was issued following President Donald Trump’s recent inauguration, granting cartel members approval to target U.S. federal law enforcement in retaliation for the administration’s intensified border security measures.
Being aware of the threat cartels pose to national security, President Donald Trump signed an executive order on January 20, 2025, designating Mexican drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs). This designation aims to enhance sanctions, expand law enforcement powers, and potentially authorize U.S. military intervention against these groups.
Border Patrol agents in the region remain on high alert, equipped with additional resources and surveillance to counter the growing threats posed by criminal networks operating with impunity on the Mexican side of the border.
The move has sparked concerns about possible retaliatory violence from cartels and implications for U.S.-Mexico relations.
This is a developing story.
