FBI Memo Warns Mexican Cartel Leaders Directed Members to Shoot at U.S. Border Agents

An internal federal memo based on FBI intelligence warns that leaders of a Mexican drug cartel have directed members to shoot at U.S. Border Patrol agents from across the border, NewsNation reported.

The memo, circulated to agents in the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector, cites FBI reporting that leadership of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (JNGC) ordered members to carry out armed attacks against Customs and Border Protection personnel. The alert instructs agents to maintain heightened awareness while operating near the border.

Chris Clem, a retired Border Patrol sector chief and NewsNation contributor, said the warning should be taken seriously across the entire southern border, not just in San Diego. "(The cartels) lost control, they want to gain control (and) so our agents need to make sure they have their heads on a swivel as they always do," Clem said.

According to the memo, JNGC members were instructed to conduct assaults in areas of Mexico not controlled by the cartel. The San Diego border region referenced in the alert is largely under the influence of the Sinaloa Cartel, which has been engaged in conflict with JNGC since 2025. Clem said attacks on U.S. agents could be aimed at creating instability to shift territorial control on the Mexican side of the border.

The memo warns that any cross-border attacks on U.S. federal agents would "bring heavy scrutiny and retribution" from both U.S. and Mexican authorities toward the cartel operating in the area. Both JNGC and the Sinaloa Cartel have been designated as Foreign Terrorist Organizations by the Trump administration. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to NewsNation's request for comment on the reported directive.

The New York Times and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported on Monday that Mexican criminal groups have obtained high-caliber, armor-piercing ammunition originating from a U.S. government-owned manufacturing facility in Missouri that also supplies the civilian retail market.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives has seized more than 40,000 such rounds in border states since 2012, according to that report. Authorities and researchers cited in that investigation say cartels increasingly deploy military-style equipment, including drones, explosives, and armored vehicles, contributing to higher risks for security forces operating near the border.

Originally published on Latin Times