U.S. Coast Guard crews exchanged gunfire with individuals on the Mexican side of the border, an incident the U.S. military later pointed to as evidence of rising illegal activity. The encounter came as hundreds of American troops and military vehicles were moved to Texas’ Rio Grande Valley, while 500 Mexican Army and National Guard personnel were assigned to the Mexican side of the border.
Coast Guard personnel were working with other federal agencies to intercept migrants crossing the Rio Grande when shots were fired from Mexico, officials said Friday, according to Stars and Stripes. The crews responded with gunfire, authorities said.
The incident occurred Sept. 26 near Garceno, a small Starr County, Texas, community where federal agencies were carrying out a coordinated border operation.
U.S. Coast Guard personnel exchanged gunfire with individuals on the Mexican side of the border. (Brenda Bazan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Coast Guard said it was reviewing the shooting with its federal partners, but officials have not determined who fired first.
“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 American embassy was assisting with coordination as Mexican forces moved into the area where shots were fired at U.S. Coast Guard personnel.
“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,” Johnson said.
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The shooting occurred Sept. 26 as federal agencies conducted joint operations near Garceno, a small border town in Starr County, Texas. (Brenda Bazan/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
In October 2025, the Coast Guard began Operation River Wall, adding personnel, boats and other resources to patrol the Rio Grande between the United States and Mexico. The operation covers roughly 260 miles of the river along the U.S.-Mexico border.
According to Stars and Stripes, the Coast Guard has been working with Border Patrol, the Pentagon and the Texas Military Department to secure the border, disrupt illegal operations and protect people in the United States.
“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 was assisting with coordination as Mexican forces were deployed near the border location where shots were fired at Coast Guard personnel. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
The U.S. military said Friday that hundreds of troops, along with 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.