(MENAFN) Mexico’s armed forces declared that they will begin coordinated security measures with Guatemala along their shared frontier in an effort to stem the flow of narcotics and related criminal activity, as stated by reports.

According to senior Mexican defense officials, the announcement followed an incident a day earlier in which Guatemalan troops engaged gunmen believed to be linked to a Mexican criminal organization inside Guatemalan territory. During a briefing in the capital, Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense, Ricardo Trevilla Trejo, confirmed the start of the initiative.

“A plan will be implemented to carry out coordinated operations along the border with Mexican Army forces on our territory, and similar operations will also be conducted with personnel from Guatemala. These operations begin today and are tentatively scheduled to end on the 11th. However, if necessary, they will be extended for as long as required,” Trejo said.

He further noted that the government had ordered the Southeast Military Air Region in Tuxtla Gutierrez to begin aerial surveillance missions over the Mexican side of the border to monitor movements and support ground operations.

According to official Guatemalan accounts, an exchange of gunfire erupted late Monday in a rural part of Huehuetenango near the boundary line. Authorities stated that “unidentified illegal armed groups” crossed into Guatemala and encountered a routine army patrol, leading to the attack.

The clash resulted in one Guatemalan service member sustaining non-life-threatening injuries. Reinforcements later moved into the area, detained one suspect, and confiscated heavy weaponry, explosives, assorted equipment, and drones.

By Tuesday, Trejo confirmed that Mexican forces had already deployed additional units to their side of the border and were sharing intelligence with Guatemala to support the joint effort.

As indicated by Trejo, the frontier zone is currently contested by two dominant criminal organizations—the Sinaloa Cartel and the Chiapas-Guatemala Cartel—both of which operate fluidly across the two nations and maintain a strong presence in the region.

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