American troops have stormed a Mexican beach setting off a diplomatic firestorm amid soaring tensions after Donald Trump threatened to bomb the country.
US ‘contractors’ arrived by boat on Monday to ‘Playa Bagdad’, driving signs into the sand near where the Rio Grande empties into the Gulf of Mexico.
Alarmed witnesses quickly alerted officials and heavily-armed Mexican security personnel rushed to the scene on trucks mounted with machine guns in a terrifying standoff.
The Mexican troops watched as the Americans drove six signs into the ground which said: ‘Warning: restricted area.’
Written in English and Spanish, they claimed that the beach was the property of the Department of Defense and had been declared restricted by ‘the commander.’
They also said unauthorized access or photography was not allowed in that area and that ‘if you are found here, you may be detained and searched.’
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said that their country’s navy took the signs out of the sand – which they believe was on Mexican territory.
The Pentagon, in a deeply embarrassing statement, admitted that its troops were mistaken on landing on the beach.
The IBWC is a binational agency which oversees the border and water treaties between the US and Mexico, marking the international boundary as one of it’s several jobs
The signs also said unauthorized access or photography was not allowed in that area and that ‘if you are found here, you may be detained and searched’
The signs were written in both English and Spanish – and explained that it was the property of the Department of Defense and had been declared restricted by ‘the commander’
The US Embassy in Mexico shared a comment from the Pentagon on Tuesday which confirmed that personnel had been sent to mark ‘National Defense Area III.’
‘Changes in water depth and topography altered the perception of the international boundary’s location,’ the statement said. ‘Government of Mexico personnel removed 6 signs based on their perception of the international boundary’s location.’
The Pentagon added that contractors would ‘coordinate with appropriate agencies to avoid confusion in the future.’
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum declared on Tuesday that the International Boundary and Water Commission, a binational agency that determines the border between the two countries, would arbitrate the dispute.
Mexico’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement that ‘the origins of the signs and their placement on national territory were unclear’ and the Mexican Section of the International Boundary and Water Commission is getting involved.
‘[They] will review the maps and instruments that mark the border between both countries, as established by existing boundary and water treaties,’ the statement ended.
The IBWC is a binational agency which oversees the border and water treaties between the US and Mexico, marking the international boundary as one of it’s several jobs.
Reportedly, booth the US and Mexican agencies should seek advice from the IBWC before doing any construction or starting any project that might affect the international boundary.
Six signs saying ‘warning: restricted area’ were plunged into the sand at a beach in Northeast Mexico called ‘Playa Bagdad,’ prompting alarms from witnesses who said they saw men in uniform arrive in a boat and plant them
Mexico’s president Claudia Sheinbaum responded to the surprise US signage in her country, saying US strikes against drug cartels on Mexican soil are outlawed – just a day after President Trump said he would use whatever means necessary to stop drugs from coming in to the United States
Border intrusion; Americans place warning signs at Baghdad Beach, Mexican officials were then advised to remove them
The exact location of the beach remains unconfirmed by both parties, but a video circulating on social media and in local news appears to show Mexican marines taking down the signs.
Questions remain on what Navy personnel was doing there, and who the authority was on the project.
Daily Mail reached out to the White House for clarification on the issue, and whether the order came directly from President Trump given his comments earlier about drugs in Mexico and his willingness to take action. They did not immediately respond.
Sheinbaum on Tuesday once again turned down Trump’s suggestion to have US military intervention against the drug cartels.
‘I have told him on every occasion that we can collaborate, that they can help us with information they have, but that we operate in our territory, that we do not accept any intervention by a foreign government,’ Mexico’s president said.
Trump has said several times as of late that he is ‘not happy with Mexico.’
Mexico’s president has rejected the name–change of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America by Trump at the start of his second term –– which added a layer of complexity to the planted signs.
