WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
  • A Coast Guard riverine crew returned fire after receiving gunfire from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande near Garceno, Texas.
  • No Coast Guard personnel were injured, and no federal assets or equipment were damaged during the attack.
  • U.S. Army troops previously assigned to West Texas are expected to deploy to the Rio Grande Valley for at least 30 days.
  • The investigation remains active, while the deployment’s exact size and duration remain undisclosed for operational security reasons.

A U.S. Coast Guard riverine boat crew came under fire Saturday while patrolling the Texas border with Mexico, prompting federal personnel to return fire and suppress the threat. No Coast Guard personnel were injured, and no federal equipment was damaged during the attack.

The shooting occurred near Garceno, Texas, along the Rio Grande on September 26. According to Coast Guard spokesperson Lt. Commander Rachel Ault, the crew received gunfire originating from the Mexican side of the border.

The Coast Guard personnel were operating from a small boat and conducting joint interdiction operations with federal partners. Those partners included U.S. Border Patrol agents working along the Tamaulipas border sector.

The gunfire erupted during what sources described as a routine patrol. The Coast Guard crew responded immediately and successfully suppressed the threat without reporting casualties or damage.

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“No injuries to Coast Guard or other personnel were reported, and no damage to Coast Guard assets or equipment was reported,” Commander Ault reported. She added that federal authorities take threats against military and law enforcement personnel extremely seriously.

The investigation into the shooting remains active. Authorities have not disclosed additional details about the suspected Mexican cartel forces involved in the attack.

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U.S. Army Spc. Israel Arreguin with the Headquarters and Headquarters Detachment, 759th Military Police Battalion, assigned to Joint Task Force - Southern Border and a Border Patrol agent conduct detection and monitoring operations from an observation post near Wellton, Ariz., April 23, 2025. Under the direction of U.S. Northern Command, Joint Task Force – Southern Border aligns efforts to seal the southern border and repel illegal activity and is responsible for full-scale, agile, and all-domain operations, which will allow for more effective and efficient DoW operations. (U.S. Army photo by 2nd Lt. Erica Esterly)

NewsNation national correspondent Ali Bradley first reported the shooting and the planned military deployment. The report quickly drew scrutiny through social media community notes on X.com.

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A Department of Homeland Security source familiar with the operational response told Breitbart Texas that U.S. Army troops previously assigned to border operations in West Texas are expected to deploy to the Rio Grande Valley. The deployment is intended as a direct force protection response following the attack on U.S. personnel.

The troops are expected to remain staged in the Rio Grande Valley sector for at least 30 days. The size of the unit and the precise duration of its deployment have not been disclosed because of operational security concerns.

The Coast Guard works alongside U.S. Border Patrol, the Department of War, and the Texas Military Division in border security operations. Their work includes disrupting illicit activity, protecting personnel, and securing communities along the border.

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The Coast Guard said federal and state partners will continue using a layered and integrated approach to control, secure, and defend the border. That approach is intended to strengthen their collective ability to counter illicit activity and safeguard personnel and nearby communities.

Breitbart Texas contacted the Department of War Joint Task Force Southern Border seeking information about the Army unit’s size and mission parameters. Officials had not responded before publication.

Gunfire originating from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande has occurred before. In June 2014, U.S. law enforcement officers received gunfire near Rincon Village, south of Mission, Texas, according to reporting by Breitbart Texas’s Brandon Darby.

Those shots were reportedly intended to harass Texas Parks and Wildlife game wardens. The wardens had been deployed by then Governor Rick Perry to assist with securing the border.

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Approximately two years later, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper and a U.S. Border Patrol agent were struck by a stray bullet fired from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande near Miguel Alemán, Tamaulipas. The trooper suffered a gunshot wound to his leg, while the agent was protected from injury by his gear.

In a more recent incident, Mexican cartel terrorists opened fire on Border Patrol agents conducting aerial surveillance operations in the Rio Grande Valley Sector. The latest shooting now brings an expected Army deployment to the region as federal authorities respond to another armed threat from across the border.