EL PASO, Texas (Border Report) – American troops crossed into Juarez, Mexico, on Monday morning to take part in a joint disaster response exercise with the Mexican army.
The American GIs made their way in at least three buses over the Bridge of the Americas around 10:30 a.m. and were met by a caravan of Mexican army trucks and Juarez police on motorcycles. They were escorted to the Mexican Army’s 20th Motorized Cavalry Regiment headquarters in South Juarez.
Video taken by a Border Report camera crew shows military helicopters cross into Mexican airspace around 9:30 a.m. Witnesses said they included a large Chinook-type cargo helicopter and two Blackhawks.
Approximately 220 American soldiers under the command of Joint Task Force Civil Support of the U.S. Army’s Northern Command based in Fort Eustis, Virginia, will be taking part in Fuerzas Amigas 2024 in Juarez over the next five days.
“The purpose of this exercise is to improve readiness and strengthen the two nations’ cooperative relationship,” the Department of Defense said on one of its web pages. “JTF-CS will serve as the command-and-control element, directing U.S. troops conducting natural disaster response exercises alongside Mexican military forces.”
A similar exercise, Fuerzas Amigas 2022, took place in October 2022 in Reynosa, Mexico.
The Mexican Ministry of Defense (SEDENA) said the June 24-28 exercises will take place at Benito Juarez Olympic Stadium, which is a few hundred yards south of the U.S. border wall.
A total of 500 soldiers from both countries will be responding to earthquake-related disasters. They include the collapse of the stadium, a chemical spill at a wastewater plant, a train derailment involving tank cars carrying hazardous materials, and the collapse of an airport terminal. The troops also will be setting up a mobile field hospital for a mass-casualty scenario, the Mexican army said in a statement.
“This training represents an opportunity so that both armies interact in binational-type scenarios. They will share experiences, procedures and operational tactics when it comes to assisting the civil population. This will allow us to improve our immediate response capacity,” SEDENA said.
Troops from Mexico’s 5th Military Region based in Coahuila and the 5th Military Region based in Jalisco will be training with the Americans in Juarez, SEDENA said.
“The Mexican Army is committed to this exchange of experiences and knowledge that allow us to reach high standards of performance and strengthen bonds of friendship and cooperation with the Northern Command of the United States for the benefit of the people of both nations,” SEDENA said.
The Mexican Army said 220 American troops would be participating.
This is the second time in two weeks that U.S. government personnel cross into Juarez to train wit Mexican public servants. Last week, the Border Patrol’s BORSTAR search, trauma and rescue team was at the Juarez Police Academy to demonstrate how to administer Narcan, deal with drug overdoses and respond to armed ambushes.
In each case, the Mexican Senate approved in advance the crossing of U.S. federal or military employees on official business. They are supposed to cross the border unarmed.