Juárez mayor speaks deployment of Mexican National Guard to the border

JUAREZ, Chihuahua (KVIA) -- Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum announced Monday the deployment of 10,000 Mexican National Guard soldiers to the U.S. - Mexico border as part of an agreement she had with President Donald Trump to pause 25% tariffs for a month.

According to the Mexican Federal Government, 2,620 soldiers will be deployed to Chihuahua along the border; 1,650 will be stationed in Juárez alone.

The agreements between both countries were made to stop illegal immigration, fentanyl smuggling into the U.S., and weapons trafficking into Mexico.

"The presence of the National Guard has never hindered us. If you think about when the federals came to Juárez during the Calderón administration (2006-2012), it was a problem because you had to take care of the thugs and the federals. In other words, two criminal organizations were stalking us back in the day," Mayor Pérez Cuéllar said during a news conference.

Mayor Pérez Cuéllar also said that the arrival of more troops to the El Paso - Juárez border will help secure the city more.

"The personnel who arrived this week are to reinforce the country's northern border and prevent drug trafficking from Mexico to the United States, mainly fentanyl," said the Coordinator of the National Guard's 31st Battalion based in Ciudad Juárez, José Luis Santos Iza.

Coordinator Santos Iza added this deployment is to fulfill recent agreements made between Mexico President Sheinbaum with President Trump.