Coast Guard Returns Fire at Border

PHOTO CAPTION: U.S. Coast Guard members assigned to Coast Guard Forces Rio Grande conduct a nighttime airboat patrol on the Rio Grande, Sept. 2, 2026. Coast Guard personnel returned fire later that month after shots came from the Mexican side of the river near Garceno, Texas. U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Perry Shirzad.

U.S. Coast Guard personnel returned fire after gunshots came from the Mexican side of the Rio Grande during a federal border operation in Texas, according to service officials.
The exchange occurred Sept. 26 near Garceno, Texas, a small community in Starr County along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Coast Guard personnel were conducting joint interdiction operations with other federal agencies and intercepting migrants crossing the Rio Grande when the initial shots came from the Mexican side of the river.
Coast Guard personnel returned fire.
No Coast Guard members or other U.S. personnel were injured, and officials said no Coast Guard vessels or equipment were damaged.
The Coast Guard is investigating the incident alongside federal partners.
Officials have not publicly identified who fired the original shots.
That distinction is important because some accounts have suggested cartel involvement, but the Coast Guard has not confirmed that the shooters were affiliated with a cartel or any other criminal organization. Stars and Stripes
The encounter comes as military forces on both sides of the border increase operations in the region.
U.S. Northern Command said hundreds of troops and their equipment have been repositioned to the Rio Grande Valley as part of planned preparations for what the military described as historically observed seasonal increases in attempted illegal activity.
Joint Task Force-Southern Border specifically cited the Sept. 26 Coast Guard encounter as an example of that increase.
The additional forces are intended to increase patrol capacity and provide expanded monitoring and detection capabilities in support of the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Stars and Stripes
Mexico has also deployed 500 Army and National Guard personnel to its side of the border.
The Mexican operation includes forces in several municipalities in Tamaulipas and is being coordinated with U.S. military commanders while each country's forces remain on their respective side of the border. infobae
U.S. Ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson said the embassy was helping coordinate with Mexican forces being deployed in the area where the shots were fired at Coast Guard personnel.
Johnson said Mexican military commanders would communicate directly with U.S. forces and that the two countries intended to patrol their respective sides of the border while disrupting criminal and terrorist organizations. Fox News
The Coast Guard already maintains a significant presence on the Rio Grande through Operation River Wall.
The service launched the operation in 2025, deploying additional personnel, boats and equipment to patrol approximately 260 miles of the river.
Coast Guard personnel work alongside the U.S. Border Patrol, the Defense Department and the Texas Military Department as part of the broader border mission. Stars and Stripes
The Rio Grande Valley has historically been one of the busiest areas for illegal border crossings, although Customs and Border Protection data cited by Stars and Stripes showed encounters there were down 43 percent from the previous fiscal year through August. Stars and Stripes
For now, investigators have released few details about the Sept. 26 shooting.
There were no reported U.S. casualties, but the identity of the people who fired from Mexico and their reason for opening fire remain under investigation.