Coast Guard fire puts U.S. and Mexico at odds despite coordinated border operations
The US Coast Guard fire near the Rio Grande caused controversy with Claudia Sheinbaum, who demanded evidence that the gunfire was coming from Mexico.
Coast Guard personnel are firing from Mexico
Coast Guard personnel exchanged gunfire with people on the Mexican side of the border on Sept. 26 as federal agencies conducted a joint operation near Garcino, a small town along the border in Starr County, Texas.
A fire involving US Coast Guard personnel along the Mexican border has sparked a dispute between Washington and Mexico City over the location of the shooting, even as the two countries continue to coordinate border security operations.
After US Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson publicly announced that Coast Guard personnel had been attacked, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum demanded evidence that the shootings originated from her country's territory.
"We asked for all the evidence because we don't have any," Sheinbaum told reporters in Mexico City.
Mexico has vowed to pay the US after it fatally shot an illegal immigrant who allegedly tried to run over an officer with his car.
"US Coast Guard personnel were shot at from Mexican soil on September 26, and we have shared the available information with the Mexican government through official channels," a State Department spokesperson said.
The department did not specify what was shared or when, and U.S. officials have not publicly identified the shooters or provided details on how they determined the origin of the shooting.
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The incident occurred in the midst of Operation River Wall, a Coast Guard initiative launched in October 2025 to prevent illegal immigration, drug trafficking and other threats along the nearly 300-mile stretch of the Rio Grande.
Separately, Mexico's Navy Ministry, led by Foreign Minister Raymondo Morales Angeles, said 159 "naval elements", 11 vehicles and two drones were deployed in the Tamaulipas sector.
Shinbaum said Mexico's military department maintains communications with NORTHCOM and the Coast Guard, and a coordinated "mirror operation" with the U.S. remains active.
He said: We want to have good relations with the United States within the framework of sovereignty, territorial integrity, mutual trust and coordination without subordination.
His response did not explicitly confirm whether Mexico had received the information Washington says it shared.
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Coast Guard crews patrol the Rio Grande near Mission, Texas, Oct. 18, 2025. (Coast Guard)
"He has regional pressure [and] international pressure from the United States" to cooperate on security issues, Calvo said.
He suggested that Sheinbaum's request for evidence of the Coast Guard shooting could reflect pressure within his political coalition to justify cooperation with the Trump administration.
"If he wants to unite with the Trump administration within his own party, he has a high limit to meet with his own administration," Calvo said.
We must understand this through the lens of what is happening in Latin America. "I think Sheinbaum's position today is fundamentally different than when Trump was elected."
His assessment reflects Sheinbaum's ties to Morena's leftist party and the political legacy of his predecessor, former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, commonly known as AMLO.
Calvo described Sheinbaum as "the last bastion of Latin American socialism" and argued that he could face more regional pressure if President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's run-off defeats Flavio Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election.
Calvo suggested that a rightward shift among South American governments could increase pressure on Sheinbaum to cooperate with Washington on security issues.
He said that he may face the question, "Are you the only president of Latin America who does not cooperate with the United States in terms of security?"
"Both of these things lead to a more serious border campaign for both countries," Calvo said.
He added: I have no doubt that the change in South America from left-wing governments to right-wing governments is related to the policies of the Trump administration in Latin America.
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Hankinson said cartel involvement is possible, but expressed doubt that Mexican military personnel would intentionally fire across the border unless they were acting against orders.
He added: "I think these two politicians can cooperate, they can agree on some things, even if they don't agree on socialism versus capitalism and some other ideological issues."
The Coast Guard said the circumstances surrounding the incident are still under investigation.
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