Mexico says new U.S.-trained border unit in Sonora is first of its kind in the country

Mexico says new U.S.-trained border unit in Sonora is first of its kind in the country

Nogales border wall
The initial upgrades to the border wall in Nogales under the Secure Fence Act of 2006 replaced the landing mat platforms installed during President Bill Clinton.

Mexico is launching a new border security unit in the state of Sonora, which officials say is the first of its kind in the country.

The unit will be made up of 18 state police officers who have completed special training with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, according to Sonoran officials.

The goal of the new unit is to improve border security with a focus on intelligence and technology, and it will have bases at ports of entry along the Sonora-Arizona border.

President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, called the new unit a “concrete step to stop the flow of illicit drugs, weapons, and people” on social media.

Trump has made border security a top issue for his administration and has tied his decisions to delay tariffs on Mexico to the country’s ability to curb the flow of synthetic drugs across the border.