Mexico and US launch joint mission to curb weapons trafficking across the border
Mexico and the United States have unveiled a new security initiative aimed at tackling the flow of firearms across their shared border, a long-standing source of tension between the two countries.
The move was formalised at the first meeting of the Mexico–US Security Implementation Group, held on Friday in McAllen, Texas.
At the centre of the plan is Mission Firewall, designed to disrupt the illicit movement of weapons into Mexico. Officials announced stepped-up inspections, expanded use of the firearm tracing system known as eTrace, and the introduction of ballistic identification technology across all 32 Mexican states. Both governments also pledged to deepen intelligence sharing and strengthen investigations and prosecutions linked to arms trafficking.
The US State Department described the agreement as an “unprecedented” level of cooperation. Washington confirmed it has created a secure platform for real-time information exchange on suspicious air cargo and packages, a tool that will allow authorities to track not only firearms but also drugs, precursor chemicals and illicit fuels. Mexico, meanwhile, noted that US authorities have already opened more than 125 firearms trafficking cases since Donald Trump returned to the presidency, leading to seizures and the dismantling of suspected networks.
The political backdrop remains contentious. Mexico has long argued that US-sourced weapons fuel violence within its borders, while Trump has repeatedly accused Mexican authorities of failing to confront powerful drug cartels. Speaking in Sinaloa, President Claudia Sheinbaum hailed the new agreement as a turning point: “For the first time, the priority issue discussed is the weapons flowing from the United States into Mexico. We achieved an agreement that the US will strengthen operations on its own soil to control the flow of arms.” She added that sovereignty would never be up for negotiation.
The agreement builds on US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s recent visit to Mexico City, where he met with Sheinbaum to reinforce bilateral security cooperation. Both governments presented the plan as a rare moment of alignment in the fight against organised crime, even as disputes over responsibility and strategy continue to loom in the background.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
