By Lizbeth Diaz
TLAXCALA, Mexico (Reuters) – Hundreds of Mexican soldiers were mobilized on Tuesday to the border with the United States as part of an agreement that halted U.S. tariffs on Mexican imports under the condition the Latin American country cracks down on fentanyl trafficking.
The Mexican troops will be posted to hot spots along the border with high rates of illegal migration and drug and weapons trafficking, including the border states of Baja California, Sonora and Tamaulipas, said three military and government officials with knowledge of the plan.
The plan to eventually deploy 10,000 Mexican soldiers forms part of a deal announced on Monday under which U.S. President Donald Trump paused his threat of 25% tariffs on Mexican imports. Mexico had vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs.
Under the agreement, the United States has also promised to work to stop the flow of high-powered weapons into Mexico from the U.S., Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said.
Some analysts said the hefty concentration of Mexican troops sent to the border could leave other vulnerable areas of Mexico without adequate security.
“The president had a gun to her head to make such a decision,” said Andres Sumano, a researcher at Mexico’s Northern Border College (Colef).
A trade war between Mexico and the U.S. would likely have thrown Mexico into a recession, while U.S. consumers would have been hit with higher prices on Mexican imports, including cars and trucks.
(Reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, writing by Cassandra Garrison; Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
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