Mexico Launches New Border Security Unit in Sonora for Enhanced Safety

Mexico launches a new border security unit in Sonora, trained with U.S. Customs, to enhance border control and safety.

August 5, 2025

In a significant move towards enhancing border security, Mexico has unveiled a pioneering security unit in Sonora. This initiative marks the country’s first of its kind, aimed at strengthening surveillance and control along the border.

The newly established unit comprises 18 specially trained state police officers. These officers have undergone rigorous training in collaboration with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as confirmed by the officials in Sonora.

This unit’s primary objective is to bolster border security through the use of advanced intelligence and technology, strategically positioning their bases at key ports of entry along the Sonora-Arizona border.

Ronald Johnson, the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico under President Donald Trump, acknowledged this effort as a “concrete step to stop the flow of illicit drugs, weapons, and people” via social media.

La nueva Unidad Fronteriza en Sonora es un paso concreto para frenar el flujo ilícito de drogas, armas y personas, al tiempo que fortalece el comercio y los lazos comunitarios. Una frontera segura beneficia a ambos países, al crear un entorno en el que los ciudadanos puedan…

— Embajador Ronald Johnson (@USAmbMex) August 4, 2025

There has been no official statement from Mexico regarding whether this unit will detain migrants attempting to cross into the U.S.

President Trump has consistently prioritized border security, linking tariff decisions on Mexico to their efforts in controlling the border flow of synthetic drugs.

Data from Customs and Border Protection, alongside local law enforcement and coroners’ offices, compiled by the aid group No More Deaths, highlights migrant deaths from 2002 to April this year, with some data from Pima County dating back to 2000.

Numerous individuals have been processed through government centers at the border, which are designated to assist deportees in returning to their home states.

The Democratic governor has officially petitioned Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem for funds, requesting the allocation of a portion of the $12 billion set aside for states’ border expenses in President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill.”

In Nogales, Army scouts equipped with full battle gear—helmets, M4 service rifles, and bullet-resistant vests—patrol the border, authorized to use deadly force if necessary under military rules incorporated into the border mission.

The Department of Interior is reallocating public land along the Arizona-Mexico border to the military, as part of an initiative started in April to establish National Defense Areas where individuals can be detained for military trespassing.