Army Deploys to Rio Grande Valley After Cartel Gunmen Open Fire on Coast Guard Crew
4th October 2026
Roughly 500 troops are being dropped onto islands in the Rio Grande by Chinook helicopters, days after suspected cartel gunmen opened fire on a US Coast Guard crew from the Mexican side of the river.
The deployment figure comes from sources who confirmed it to NewsNation, which also obtained video of the Chinook drops. Officials have not put a number on it publicly. Breitbart reports the size and duration are being withheld for operational security, with troops expected to stay staged in the sector for at least 30 days.