The federal government reported that 5,431 members of the Armed Forces are operating at Mexican customs: 2,698 soldiers and 2,733 marines.
The Mexican army directs customs operations at all land, air, and sea ports of entry.
Armed forces at customs
According to the federal government, the continuation of the “Comprehensive Strategy for Strengthening Customs” has made it possible to guarantee national security by restricting the flow of cash, illicit goods, natural and synthetic drugs, vehicles, and hydrocarbons, as well as deterring and identifying acts of corruption.
The flow of cash refers to the movement of cash (banknotes and coins) that circulates irregularly or illegally through customs.
President Claudia Sheinbaum’s first government report indicates the following actions carried out between October 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025:
The 32 customs offices coordinated by the Ministry of Defense (Sedena, 21 border and 11 inland) are supported by 2,698 military personnel who contribute to the national effort of the National Customs Agency of Mexico (ANAM) to promote legal, transparent, and secure trade in various objects and goods.
At the same time, the Secretariat of the Navy (Semar) coordinates 16 maritime customs offices and two inland customs offices, where it maintains 2,733 personnel.
ANAM
January 1, 2022 marked the beginning of a new era for foreign trade in Mexico. On that day, ANAM began full operations as an independent agency, separate from the Ministry of Finance and Public Credit.
Prior to this change, customs functions were under the control of the Tax Administration Service (SAT), part of the Ministry of Finance. However, the transformation marked an institutional and operational shift with broad implications for security and revenue collection.
On June 21, 2022, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador appointed retired General André Georges Foullon Van Lissum as the new director of ANAM. With that decision, the Mexican Army assumed strategic and operational control of the agency.
Since then, ANAM has been working in coordination with the Secretariats of National Defense and the Navy. Its job is to ensure security at border crossings, while maintaining close collaboration with the SAT on collection and administration tasks.
In addition, reforms to internal regulations strengthened the role of the armed forces. Now, the management of customs services at ports and land entry points falls under the authority of Sedena and Semar.