American troops briefly landed on a beach in northern Mexico in what the Pentagon has described as a «mistaken» operation, escalating tensions just days after President Donald Trump threatened military action against the country.
According to witnesses, a group of US personnel identified as «contractors» arrived by boat at Playa Bagdad on Monday, near the mouth of the Rio Grande. The men drove six warning signs into the sand, declaring the area a restricted zone belonging to the US Department of Defense.
The signs, written in English and Spanish, stated that unauthorised access or photography was prohibited and that anyone found in the area «may be detained and searched.»
Alarmed locals alerted authorities, prompting heavily armed Mexican security forces to rush to the scene in vehicles fitted with machine guns. The brief standoff ended without violence.
In a statement, the Pentagon acknowledged the incident and said the landing had occurred in error. Mexico’s foreign affairs ministry confirmed that its navy removed the signs, emphasising that the area is Mexican territory.
The episode has added strain to already heightened US–Mexico relations, following Trump’s recent threats to bomb drug-trafficking hubs in the country.
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