US Army Green Berets training Naval Infantry Marines in Mexico

• A small group of U.S. Army Green Berets is in Mexico to train the country’s Naval Infantry Marines. Their presence was requested by Mexico’s president and approved by a Senate commission.
• The 7th Special Forces Group has extensive experience in Latin America and will focus on training Mexican forces to curb the flow of fentanyl and illegal firearms.
• Intelligence operations, including a suspected U.S. spy plane off Baja, California, may play a role in shaping the training efforts and collaboration between U.S. and Mexican forces.

Full Story

A handful of U.S. Army Green Berets are in Mexico, helping to train the country’s Naval Infantry Marines. The U.S. Special Forces soldiers are there at the request of Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum. The action was also unanimously approved by a Senate commission in Mexico, according to Border Report.

Deployment details

Eleven Green Berets from the Army’s 7th Special Forces Group will be in Mexico from Feb. 17 through the end of March. The special operators arrived fully armed but will focus on training their Mexican counterparts, according to Border Report.

The 7th Special Forces Group is no stranger to working in Central and South America. Its motto is “De Oppresso Liber,” or “Free the Oppressed.”

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Green Berets from the 7th have taken part in operations in Panama, Peru, and Ecuador before, and armed U.S. troops have also trained with Mexican forces in the past.

Political context and mission goals

The presence of the Green Berets is garnering more attention this time around, especially after former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on Mexico if the country didn’t do more to curb the flow of fentanyl over the southern border.

The Green Berets will also help train the Mexican forces on better ways to stop the illegal flow of guns from the U.S. into Mexico.

In its mission to secure the southern border, the Trump administration also sought to classify Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations. This move could help free up more funds to combat the cartels and make additional resources like drones or other platforms available for gathering intelligence on cartel operations.

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Intelligence operations

An alleged U.S. spy plane was spotted off the coast of Baja, California, earlier in February. The Mexican government stated there was “no unauthorized incursion” into its airspace, but did not explicitly deny that a U.S. plane was in the air gathering intelligence.

If it was a U.S. plane, any intelligence it gathers will likely be shared with the Mexican government and its armed forces. This kind of data can help the 7th Special Forces Group tailor its training efforts while in Mexico.