MEXICO CITY (AP) — Texas’ decision to deploy National Guard troops along its southwestern border is, in the view of Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, “unpleasant” and “reprehensible.”
Last month’s deployment had previously drawn the ire of Mexico, which argues the border should not be militarized and issues should be solved jointly.
In an interview with the newspaper El Universal published Friday, Pena Nieto said Texas’ move could affect bilateral relations.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry has criticized border security and suggested last month that Islamic terrorists could be entering the U.S. from Mexico, a charge Mexico has dismissed as “absurd.”
Texas maintains it needs to deploy National Guard troops to stop drug traffickers. The number of Central American migrants entering Texas also spiked earlier this year, but the flow has since declined.