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United States Not-So-Narrowly Avoids War With Mexico

 The U.S.-Mexico border fence stretches into the countryside on March 8, 2013 near Nogales, Arizona. U.S. Border Patrol agents in Nogales say they have seen a spike in immigrants crossing into the United States from Mexico in the last week.
Photo: John Moore/Getty Images

Just about in time for the 100th anniversary of the beginning of World War I, a helicopter belonging to the Mexican government crossed 100 yards into Arizona and fired a couple shots in the vicinity of United States border agents. The Americans did not return fire, and the chopper went back to Mexico.

Though a U.S. official told Reuters that the Thursday-morning encounter is “currently under investigation,” Tuscon-based NBC affiliate KVOA reports that, “Mexican authorities contacted the U.S. and apologized” for the incident, which appears to have been an unintended result of anti-trafficking efforts. So, it seems that the whole thing was a simple mistake, and you shouldn’t feel any pressure to enlist — unless, like Matt Drudge, you see some kind of connection between Mexico’s stray aircraft and activists’ Friday plan to occupy House office buildings in order to protest Republican immigration policies. Even if that’s the case, it’s probably better to wait to see how this thing plays out. 

Mexican Helicopter Fires Shots Near U.S. Agents