Mexican military and National Guard troops search the embankment of the Rio Grande for smugglers in the Valley of Juárez on Feb. 5, 2025. The soldiers were deployed as part of the binational agreement between Mexico and the U.S. to avoid tariffs on Mexican exports to the U.S.

Mexican troops arrived in Ciudad Juárez and Tijuana this week and will soon patrol 18 cities near the Mexico-U.S. border.

To stave off U.S. tariffs, Mexico agreed to deploy 10,000 troops to its northern border. Analysts and former officials question whether they can effectively stop the flow of fentanyl.