Mexican cartels have been pushing back against efforts to secure the border. They've flown increased numbers of drones across the border, according to some reports, with as many as 1,000 drone sightings in a month.
But they're not stopping there; in some instances, they've gone as far as to shoot at officials.
DPS Spokesman Lt. Chris Olivarez spoke about a recent example of this, saying, "In Starr County, Border Patrol is patrolling an area that is one of the most violent in the region, and they were actually under fire by armed cartel gunmen."
Olivarez says this is primarily an intimidation tactic by cartels, but it's something that DPS takes seriously. He said, "If any cartel member, or anybody engages law enforcement, be it with gunfire, or actively assaults them, we're going to use every resource that we have to go after them."
Olivarez says that this isn't just random violence from the cartels; he says they actually have a strategic purpose. He explains that it's to "try and get them [law enforcement officials] out of a certain area, so they can smuggle people that don't want to be caught, or smuggle drugs."
While it might just be a strategic intimidation move by cartels, Olivarez reiterated that any instances of shooting at officials on the border would be taken as a threat and responded to as such.