(NewsNation) — Border agents are on high alert after a new memo warns of possible attacks from the Mexican side of the border and urges them to wear ballistic armor in anticipation of violence.
A memo from the Rio Grande Valley Sector Operations Center obtained by NewsNation is warning agents in that sector that an organized group operating out of Matamoros, Mexico, is allegedly planning to use a shooter who targets U.S. law enforcement or military from the other side of the U.S. border.
The memo also states that the alleged group was trying to make it appear as if the U.S. government was involved in that shooting.
Agents have been warned to wear ballistic armor and travel in groups as attacks could become more common.
The new orders come as the Department of Justice unveils a sweeping directive aimed at dismantling cartels and transnational criminal organizations under Attorney General Pam Bondi.
Several of the orders Bondi issued on her first day in office redirect Justice Department resources to supporting President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration and vow to eliminate foreign drug cartels.
Officials in Texas have been warning that cartel violence could escalate as a result of new crackdowns at the border.
Two weeks ago, suspected cartel members opened fire on Border Patrol agents in Fronton, Texas, from the Mexican side of the border. Drone footage from the Texas Department of Public Safety shows suspected cartel members fleeing after firing the shots.
No one was injured on either side. Department of Homeland Security sources tell NewsNation the cartel members were attempting to smuggle a group across the river, but they did not make it onto U.S. soil.
Since then, Texas DPS has been preparing for more violent confrontations as cartels on the border resort to more of an aggressive approach towards U.S. Border Patrol agents on that southern border.
Cartels have also authorized the use of weaponized drone explosives against border agents and other U.S. law enforcement at the southern border as violent threats are escalating on social media, with some promising the use of deadly force against Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
Bondi’s order removes legal hurdles for the DOJ in prosecuting cartel leaders. The cases will be fast-tracked on terrorism and racketeering charges, which allow cartel members to be treated like domestic terrorists. It also includes the death penalty in cases where cartel actions lead to American deaths.