ROMA, Texas — A recent surge of U.S. military troops along the Rio Grande has significantly reduced illegal crossings in one of the busiest sectors of the southern border, officials said, underscoring a continuing focus on border security under the Biden administration and former President Trump’s returned influence.

Lieutenant Colonel Ray Richards of the U.S. Army highlighted an area near Roma, Texas, that until recently saw multiple rafts attempting to cross the river from Mexico at any given time. The current deployment includes hundreds of additional soldiers shifted from other stretches of the nearly 2,000-mile border. The force works alongside U.S. Border Patrol, the Coast Guard, and Texas law enforcement agencies to curb drug smuggling and human trafficking. A Blackhawk helicopter and surveillance technologies, including a blimp and electronic measures against drones, have been seen supporting operations in the region.

The troop surge, which officials attribute in part to intelligence regarding heightened cartel activity, has also coincided with increased cooperation from the Mexican government. This month, Mexico dispatched 500 National Guard and military personnel to the border state of Tamaulipas, a region plagued by cartel violence, to participate in joint efforts to stem trafficking. A Mexican federal official confirmed the deployment, emphasizing it is based on intelligence about criminal group movements.

Despite these efforts, encounters between U.S. and Mexican forces have occasionally escalated to gunfire along the river, with U.S. personnel responding in kind after coming under fire. Areas along the riverbank are fortified with boat barriers, concertina wire, and the clearing of cover on river islands to deter crossings, but attempts continue. U.S. forces have also improved capabilities to locate and disable drones trafficked by cartels.

While border security remains a political advantage for some, experts have raised questions about the scale of the military presence. Criminologists and political analysts note that much of the drug trafficking occurs through legal ports of entry in vehicles rather than between them, and some argue that the physical troop deployment serves political signaling more than operational necessity. Street prices of drugs such as fentanyl and cocaine remain low, suggesting that supply is relatively uninterrupted.

Army Major General Curtis Taylor, who oversees the military’s southern border mission, defended the operation’s focus on dismantling human trafficking networks, which often overlap with narcotics smuggling. Taylor emphasized the moral imperative of disrupting these illicit activities.

Roma, a community of about 10,000 residents, lacks a continuous border wall due to geographic constraints and proximity to the steep Rio Grande riverbanks. Just across the water lies Miguel Alemán in Tamaulipas, a town marked by longstanding cartel violence. The border area experienced a surge of asylum seekers in 2021 but saw declines following restrictions implemented under both President Biden and former President Trump.

Since Trump’s return to office in January 2025, military deployments and Coast Guard presence have expanded to reinforce U.S. Border Patrol as the lead agency in securing the border. Despite the enhanced measures, local soldiers report that some would-be crossers attempt to navigate obstacles, with many intercepted before reaching populated areas.

The continued military presence reflects a complex mix of border enforcement, bilateral cooperation with Mexico, and the political stakes attached to immigration and security issues in the United States.