US troops have invaded a beach in Mexico, just days after Donald Trump seemingly threatened to bomb the country. They arrived on Monday (November 17) and drove six signs into the sand before Mexican security was alerted.
The unidentified men, who were reportedly US ‘contractors’, arrived at the beach in northeast Mexico by boat. Although the exact location has not been confirmed, a video on social media shows a beach known as Playa Bagdad. The signs they planted read: “Warning: Restricted Area” in English and Spanish. They also stated that the area was Department of Defense property and that “unauthorised entry is prohibited”.
According to the Daily Mail, local security rushed to the scene on trucks mounted with machine guns. The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs has since confirmed that the navy removed the signs.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon has admitted that the men were mistaken on landing on the beach located in an area where the Rio Grande, a river which originates in the US, flows into the Gulf of Mexico. They said the personnel had been sent to mark “National Defense Area III”.
The statement said: “Changes in water depth and topography altered the perception of the international boundary’s location. Government of Mexico personnel removed 6 signs based on their perception of the international boundary’s location.”
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said “the origins of the signs and their placement on national territory were unclear”. They added that the Mexican Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission “will review the maps and instruments that mark the border between both countries, as established by existing boundary and water treaties.”
The incident comes after US President Donald Trump said he would be “ok” launching strikes on Mexico to fight drug smuggling.
He said: “Would I launch strikes in Mexico to stop drugs? OK with me, whatever we have to do to stop drugs. Mexico is — look, I looked at Mexico City over the weekend. There’s some big problems over there.”
Trump said he “wouldn’t answer” whether he would conduct strikes only with Mexico’s permission. He added that the country knows “how I stand”.
The US President continued: “We’ve stopped the waterways, but we know every route. We know every route, we know the addresses of every drug lord. We know their address, we know their front door. We know everything about every one of them. They’re killing our people. That’s like a war. Would I do it? I’d be proud to.”
