The Mexican government intercepted 5,234 migrants on Tuesday during a series of security operations across the country. The actions come as Mexico faces mounting pressure from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to curb the irregular flow of people and drugs into the United States.
Trump has threatened to impose 25% tariffs on products from Mexico and Canada upon his inauguration on January 20 if the countries do not take stronger measures to halt the arrival of drugs—particularly fentanyl—and migrants into the U.S.
The Mexican Navy (SEMAR) reported that the arrests were conducted by sailors, members of the Army, the National Guard, and state police in support of the National Migration Institute. “From October 1 to December 3, 2024, 349,625 migrants have been rescued,” SEMAR stated. Authorities did not specify the regions where the operations took place, the nationalities of the migrants, or their subsequent destinations.
For years, international organizations like the United Nations have questioned the use of security forces, including the military, in migration control efforts, arguing that such involvement has led to increased human rights violations.
In response to Trump’s remarks—which rattled financial markets and weakened the Mexican peso—Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held a phone conversation with the Republican leader to outline Mexico’s strategy to combat fentanyl trafficking.
On Wednesday, Mexican security forces announced their largest seizure of fentanyl in the country’s history. Authorities confiscated 1,100 kilograms of the synthetic opioid in the northern state of Sinaloa, equivalent to 20 million doses and valued at approximately $400 million.
“The president is fulfilling what she told Trump during the call: preventing the international migrant population from reaching the border,” said Israel Ibarra, a migration expert at the Colegio de la Frontera Norte (COLEF) in Nogales, Sonora, a state bordering the United States.
The Mexican government intercepted 5,234 migrants on Tuesday during a series of security operations across the country. The actions come as Mexico faces mounting pressure from U.S. President-elect Donald Trump to curb the irregular flow of people and drugs into the United States.
