Coast Guard personnel exchanged gunfire with people on the Mexican side of the border, an encounter the U.S.military later cited as an example of increased illegal activity as hundreds of U.S.
troops and their equipment were repositioned to Texas’ Rio Grande Valley and 500 Mexican Army and National Guard personnel were deployed to its side of the border.Coast Guard personnel were intercepting migrants crossing the Rio Grande River while working with other federal agencies when the initial gunshots came from the Mexican side of the border.Coast Guard personnel then returned fire, officials said on Friday, according to Stars and Stripes.The exchange happened on Sept.
26 while federal agencies conducted joint operations near Garceno, a small town along the border in Starr County, Texas.DHS SENDS OMINOUS WARNING AS MIGRANT CARAVAN HEADS TOWARD US-MEXICO BORDER FROM HONDURASCoast 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 alongside federal partners.
It is unclear who fired the initial shots."No injuries to Coast Guard or other personnel were reported, and no damage to Coast Guard assets or equipment was reported," 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.""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.The exchange happened on Sept.26 while federal agencies conducted joint operations near Garceno, a small town along the border in Starr C...