On Nov. 17, contractors hired by the U.S. Department of Defense mistakenly placed six signs on a beach near Playa Bagdad declaring it DoD property, about 12 miles south of the U.S. border. Mexican Navy personnel removed the signs and confirmed the contractors intended to mark the Texas shore. The Pentagon attributed the error to shifting water depth and topography and said the contractors will coordinate better in future. Mexican authorities and the binational boundary commission have opened technical consultations to review border markers.
U.S. Contractors Mistakenly Erect DoD Signs on Mexican Beach, Prompting Binational Review
On Nov. 17, contractors hired by the U.S. Department of Defense mistakenly placed six signs on a beach near Playa Bagdad declaring it DoD property, about 12 miles south of the U.S. border. Mexican Navy personnel removed the signs and confirmed the contractors intended to mark the Texas shore. The Pentagon attributed the error to shifting water depth and topography and said the contractors will coordinate better in future. Mexican authorities and the binational boundary commission have opened technical consultations to review border markers.
10:09 AM, 11/21/2025Security
On Nov. 17, a team of contractors hired by the U.S. Department of Defense landed on a beach near Playa Bagdad in northeast Mexico and installed six signs declaring the site “Department of Defense property” and a “restricted area” under “the commander.” The stretch of sand where the markers were placed lies roughly 12 miles south of the U.S.–Mexico border.
Heavily armed personnel from the Mexican Navy responded to reports, determined the men were on Mexican soil, and removed the signs. Officials said the contractors intended to place the markers on the Texas shore but misjudged the international boundary due to changing water depth and shifting topography. The situation was resolved without violence and images and video of the episode circulated on social media.
The Pentagon later confirmed the men were DoD contractors tasked with marking a designated U.S. “National Defense Area III.” In a statement the department said,
“Changes in water depth and topography altered the perception of the international boundary’s location. Contractors will coordinate with appropriate agencies to avoid confusion in the future.”
Mexico’s government has opened an investigation. In a joint statement, the Mexican Navy and the Secretariat of Foreign Affairs said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs contacted the U.S. Embassy in Mexico and that the Mexican section of the International Boundary and Water Commission (Comisión Internacional de Límites y Aguas, CILA) will conduct technical consultations to clarify the incident and review maps and markers established by treaty.
The dispute highlights recurring challenges along the Rio Grande (Río Bravo), which has defined much of the U.S.–Mexico border since the 1848 Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Over time the river’s course has shifted naturally, requiring binational adjustments and agreements; the most recent major treaty adjustments affecting the river date to 1970.
The episode also drew political attention: on the same day, former U.S. President Donald Trump said he would be “okay” with strikes in Mexico to combat drug cartels, comments Mexican officials rejected. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum emphasized the role of the binational commission in clarifying border markers and said the incident would be reviewed under existing boundary and water treaties.
Requests for additional comment to the Pentagon, the International Boundary and Water Commission, and the U.S. Embassy in Mexico were not immediately answered.