After surging troops to the border, US Army showcases a quieter Rio Grande

ROMA, Texas (AP) — Standing on a high bank of the Rio Grande, Army Lt. Col. Ray Richards points to a stretch of river that was, until recently, one of the busiest spots for illegal border crossings from Mexico.

But on a recent afternoon, the area is quiet. American soldiers gather at a border monitoring post in Roma, Texas, where an infantry vehicle with camouflage netting sits between houses. A Blackhawk helicopter drops soldiers onto an island in the river, while U.S. Border Patrol agents breeze by on fan-propelled boats.

“At any given time, there would be multiple rafts full of people trying to get to this side,” Richards said of the area before U.S. forces made it a priority last year.

The Army has been inviting reporters to the Rio Grande Valley as it deploys hundreds more soldiers to the region this month by shifting some of the thousands of troops already serving along the 2,000-mile border. U.S. officials said the troop surge follows signs of elevated activity from drug cartels and has been accompanied by increased cooperation from the Mexican military. The U.S. Coast Guard said it recently encountered gunfire from the Mexican side of the river, prompting the Americans to fire back.

In this small patch at the southern edge of the United States, a slow saga is playing out — a curious mix of policing, policy and politics.

While Republicans face increasing headwinds because of President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, persistently high prices and the fallout from the war in Iran, border security has remained a relative bright spot in Trump's polling numbers, with about half of Americans saying they approve of his performance there.

But some experts have questioned the need for such a large military presence. They suggest it's less about effective strategy and more about political theater.

Illegal crossings have plummeted due in large part to asylum restrictions that began before Trump returned to the White House. Meanwhile, a large percentage of the fentanyl, cocaine and heroin seized along the border was being smuggled in cars and trucks passing through checkpoints, not the areas in between.

David Shirk, a University of San Diego political science professor, said the Trump administration wants to remind voters it's been very aggressive on border security.

“I don't dispute there’s some benefit to having personnel in areas at risk for people smuggling and drug trafficking,” Shirk said. “But the vast majority of that is now happening at ports of entry.”

Dessa Bergen-Cico, a professor of public health at Syracuse University who studies drug trafficking, said street prices for cocaine and fentanyl are still low, suggesting the drug flow remains unimpeded.

But Army Maj. Gen. Curtis Taylor, who commands the military's southern border task force, said the work has been vital and effective, particularly for targeting human trafficking.

The moral argument for the Army's mission is “dismantling this marketplace of human trafficking that is bringing people into the border,” Taylor said. “An added benefit of that is there’s an awful lot of drugs moving with that human trafficking.”

Roma, a city of about 10,000 people, lacks a border wall in some places because homes sit close to the steep slopes along the Rio Grande. Directly across the water is Miguel Alemán, a town in the Mexican state of Tamaulipas that’s been plagued by decades of cartel violence. From Roma, it's a football field's distance across the river at best and much less in some places.

In 2021, Roma became a center of illegal crossings when thousands of families and unaccompanied children arrived each day to seek asylum. Border crossings fell sharply after President Joe Biden introduced severe asylum restrictions in 2024 and dipped after Trump suspended asylum at the border.

After Trump returned to the White House in January 2025, the Army and Coast Guard expanded operations to back up the Border Patrol, which remains the lead agency for border security. The Army now commands some 8,000 U.S. troops along the entire border, while the U.S. Coast Guard and Texas law enforcement have brought in more personnel.

Army officials said people still try to cross into Roma despite multiple obstacles. A barrier of strung-together buoys, each the size of a hay bale, stretched along the river. Concertina wire lined the U.S. river bank, while a surveillance blimp hung in the sky. A river island was recently cleared of trees that hid people trying to cross.

Army Sgt. Nathaniel Decker said he recently saw people on three rafts set out from the Mexican side at dusk. He reported to Border Patrol that one group had cleared the buoys. They were eventually caught by a house in Roma.

The U.S. has stopped many of the drones used by the cartels to surveil the border and ferry drugs, by electronically jamming or capturing them or shooting them down with a laser.

The U.S. has gotten better at tracking them and coordinating with Mexican officials to locate the drones' operators. But some still get across.

“We have reduced a lot of the flights,” said Richards, the Army lieutenant colonel, who has deployed with the Massachusetts Army National Guard. “But in the middle of the night, those drones can fly into the U.S. airspace, and that’s a true threat to any soldier on the ground.”

Under pressure from Trump, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has cracked down more heavily on crime than her predecessors. Mexico this month sent 500 National Guard and military officers to Tamaulipas as part of a coordinated effort with the U.S. to prevent drug and human trafficking.

Mexico's deployment “is based on intelligence gathered regarding the movements of criminal groups,” a federal official in Mexico told The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment on the matter.

As part of the operation, the Mexican Army is using two UH-60 helicopters, drones and anti-drone equipment.

The U.S. Coast Guard has also boosted patrols on the Rio Grande, bringing in more than 300 personnel in October of last year. While stopping a boat on the river last month, the Coast Guard encountered gunfire from the Mexican side of the water near Garceno, Texas, the service said in a statement. The Americans returned fire. None were hurt.

U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Jeff Miller wouldn't give additional details about the exchange of gunfire, except to say the personnel are “working in a very challenging environment" and are authorized to use force to protect themselves.

On a recent patrol, the scene along the river was quiet. A Coast Guard boat armed with machine guns motored along the greenish water. Two men fished from a small boat. A privately funded border wall, made from galvanized steel, lined the American side. In Mexico, there was a park with soccer goal posts, homes and a woman waving.

A Coast Guardsman driving the boat, who declined to give his name, said he's seen kids on the Mexican side get excited as if a fire truck were passing. Others have offered the Americans cold beer. Some have reacted with offensive gestures.

Joel Garcia, Border Patrol's acting deputy chief patrol agent for the Rio Grande Valley, said the agency has proof that U.S. operations have been effective based on the amount of drug seizures, the number of people apprehended and decreasing traffic within certain areas.

“Border security, when done right, if we have truly secured the line, should be boring,” he added. “It should look as if no one is crossing and nothing is happening.”

Associated Press writers Fabiola Sánchez and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.

A U.S. Border Patrol airboat carries army personnel along the Rio Grande as they keep watch along the U.S.-Mexico border in Roma, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

People fish on the Rio Grande new a border wall at the U.S.-Mexico border in McAllen, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

U.S. Army personnel keep watch over the U.S.-Mexico border in Roma, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

U.S. Army personnel keep watch over the U.S.-Mexico border in Roma, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Troops disembark from a U.S. Army helicopter on an island along the Rio Grande in Roma, Texas, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Cleveland Guardians used small ball, the longball and played solid all-around baseball to keep winning in the postseason.

Nathaniel Lowe snapped an eighth-inning tie with a two-run single after Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey homered off Drew Rasmussen, and the Guardians rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

After losing the first two games at home to the Chicago White Sox in their AL Division Series, Cleveland has won four straight in the postseason for the first time since winning their first six playoff games in 2016 on the way to a World Series berth.

“It feels good to see some balls fall, to see some guys get on the barrel, to see some guys have some great at-bats, because the first two games of the White Sox series, we got beat. We did,” Lowe said. “We had to go get our backs against the wall and do something crazy, and this group did. It’s nice to feel some momentum coming here and to take Game 1.”

Jose Ramírez had three hits and DeLauter was a triple shy of the cycle as the Guardians banged out 14 hits against a Tampa Bay staff that allowed just 12 in its Division Series against the New York Yankees.

Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca had RBI singles in the first and Cedric Mullins hit a solo homer for the Rays, who never trailed in their three-game sweep of the Yankees.

“It’s been a while since we lost, so I think that’s a good thing, and I know the guys will come back and respond tomorrow,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said.

Game 2 is Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. Rookie left-hander Parker Messick starts for Cleveland, and right-hander Freddy Peralta takes the mound for the Rays.

Five relievers combined for five innings of one-run, two-hit ball for the Guardians, who became only the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series with a victory over the White Sox on Saturday night.

Cade Smith, who pitched in all five games against Chicago, tossed a perfect ninth.

“Obviously we came off an emotional series, had a quick turnaround. But these guys come ready to play every day. Couldn’t be more proud of them,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “We got punched early. And our pitching staff, credit to them, for stopping it and keeping us in the game as long as they did. And the offense came alive.”

Rasmussen took a 2-0 lead into the sixth before DeLauter led off with an opposite-field homer to left-center. Bailey started the seventh with a towering shot to center that went a projected 436 feet, ending Rasmussen’s night.

Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the eighth in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees.

Ramírez opened the eighth with an infield single off Tyler Wells, and DeLauter ripped a double to right. After Wells retired Jo Adell on a grounder to second, Ian Seymour entered. Lowe lined an 0-2 pitch up the middle to drive in two, giving Cleveland a 4-2 lead.

Lowe made his major league debut with Tampa Bay in 2019 and won a World Series with Texas in 2023.

“I love coming back here, I really do,” Lowe said. “It’s nice to see some familiar faces on the other side.”

Mullins connected off Erik Sabrowski for a solo shot in the bottom half.

Ramírez, whose two-run homer lifted Cleveland to a 2-0 win in Game 5 against Chicago, provided an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth off Cole Sulser.

Ramírez then helped the Guardians get two more by breaking for third with two outs and two strikes on Adell. Caminero ran to cover the bag and was out of position when Adell hit a sharp grounder toward third. The ball rolled into left field for a two-run double.

A crowd of 35,361 fans waved yellow rally towels and rang cowbells at the Trop as Tampa Bay made its third ALCS appearance in the franchise's 29-season history.

They were fired up when the 98-win Rays jumped ahead 2-0 in the first and Rasmussen battled to keep it there until the sixth.

Coming off that dominant performance against the Yankees, Rasmussen went six-plus tough innings. The two-time All-Star right-hander, who was four outs from a no-hitter in a 1-0 victory against New York, allowed a hit to the second batter he faced and eight total, striking out seven.

Guardians starter Foster Griffin gave up two runs and five hits in four innings.

The Rays helped Rasmussen with outstanding defense.

Nick Fortes threw out Ramírez trying to steal second in the first. Caminero made an excellent play to retire Adell on a hard bouncer to third. Caminero short-hopped the ball with his backhand and fired a strong throw to first.

The Guardians had a runner on first with one out in the third when second baseman Ben Williamson robbed DeLauter of a hit that prevented a first-and-third jam. Williamson, who wasn’t on the ALDS roster, made a diving grab on DeLauter’s sharp grounder, got up and threw him out.

Rays slick-fielding shortstop Taylor Walls was 0 for 3 and left six runners on base. He struck out with the bases loaded to end the first, lined out with a runner on in the fourth and grounded out with runners on first and second to end the sixth.

Messick took the loss in Game 1 of the AL Division Series, allowing two runs over 4 1/3 innings. He threw 2 1/3 innings in relief during a Game 4 victory, giving up two runs. Messick had 11 strikeouts in the two appearances. He was 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in the regular season.

Peralta allowed one run and three hits over 4 2/3 innings in Game 2 of the Division Series vs. the Yankees. He was 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts after joining Tampa Bay at the trade deadline. Peralta was 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA for the Mets this season.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour reacts after giving up two runs against the Cleveland Guardians during the eighth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays right fielder Jonny DeLuca and third baseman Junior Caminero collide try to catch a ball hit by Cleveland Guardians' Brayan Rocchio during the ninth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians' Patrick Bailey celebrates after a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the seventh inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

Cleveland Guardians' Chase DeLauter hits a home run against the Tampa Bay Rays during the sixth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez and Chase DeLauter celebrate after scoring on a single by Nathaniel Lowe against the Tampa Bay Rays during the eighth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians' Travis Bazzana steals second past Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls during the fourth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez is tagged out by Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls stealing during the first inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Cleveland Guardians' Steven Kwan singles against the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen celebrates the last out in the top of the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen celebrates after striking out Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez during the fifth inning in Game 1 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in St. Petersburg, Fla. Monday, Oct. 12, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)