U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy, Republican of Montana, has delivered a forceful critique of Mexico’s handling of wastewater discharge impacting the Tijuana River, raising serious concerns about public health and national security implications.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to President Claudia Sheinbaum, Senator Sheehy voiced her profound distress over the persistent influx of raw sewage originating from Mexico. The core of her argument centers on the detrimental effects this pollution has on residents, particularly highlighting the risk to U.S. military personnel engaged in training exercises.
“This continuous discharge is sickening thousands of Americans annually, including U.S. Navy SEALs and Marine special forces who train in the affected waters,” the letter states, quoting Senator Sheehy’s assertion. The situation reached a critical juncture following an investigation by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General in February 2025. Their report indicated that without immediate intervention, the Naval Special Warfare Command would be compelled to either suspend or relocate up to seventy-five percent of its water training activities at Naval Amphibious Base Coronado due to alarmingly elevated levels of bacterial contamination.
The scale of the problem is underscored by recent data from the International Boundary and Water Commission, which revealed that Mexico is currently releasing approximately five million gallons of sewage into the Tijuana River daily. This contaminated water then flows upstream into United States territory, ultimately reaching the Pacific Ocean.
“For decades, Mexico has been dumping toxic waste into the water where our most elite servicemen train, causing serious health issues and harming our readiness,” Senator Sheehy communicated to Fox News Digital. “The escalating nature of this issue—and the Mexican government’s inaction—poses a direct threat to our troops and, more broadly, to U.S. national security.”
Local officials share these concerns. San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond emphasized the severity of the situation in a recent Fox News op-ed: “This sewage isn’t just disgusting — it’s dangerous. It contains E. coli, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, arsenic and other toxic chemicals.” He detailed documented instances of residents experiencing symptoms ranging from skin infections and viral pharyngitis to illnesses affecting family pets.
The issue has garnered significant attention at the federal level. EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin plans a visit next Tuesday to assess the situation firsthand, examining a local treatment facility in San Diego. A source close to Zeldin indicated that President Trump’s former Environmental Protection Agency administrator is prioritizing this “top priority” – addressing what he describes as a decades-long human health crisis.
“We have heard far too many horror stories of Navy SEALs – some of the bravest and brightest service members in the military – falling ill from training in waters that have been contaminated by Mexican sewage that has flown into our nation,” Zeldin stated during a Friday interview with Fox News.
The situation remains complex, demanding immediate action to mitigate the environmental damage and safeguard public health and national security.