Clip of helicopters not related to Mexican firefighters arrived in LA | Fact check
The claim: Video shows Mexican firefighters arriving in Los Angeles to help battle fires
A Jan. 10 Instagram video (direct link, archive link) shows a fleet of helicopters flying through the sky.
"100 Firefighters from #Mexico have arrived in #LosAngeles and being directed to the #EatonFire (sic)," part of the post's caption reads.
Text within the video, which was originally shared on TikTok by a now-deleted account, says, "Like Mexico always supporting."
The Instagram post garnered more than 10,000 likes in less than two weeks. Other versions of the claim were shared on Instagram, Facebook and X.
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Our rating: False
The video was shared four days before California Gov. Gavin Newsom said a team of Mexican firefighters and relief workers arrived in the state.
Video doesn't show Mexican fleet arriving in LA
Canada, Mexico and various U.S. states have sent personnel to California to help combat the deadly wildfires, which as of Jan. 21 have killed at least 27 people and leveled or damaged more than 10,000 structures. However, the helicopters shown in the Instagram video are not bringing Mexican firefighters to Los Angeles to help fight those blazes. The clip predates their arrival by four days.
An account titled México Aeroespacial y Defensa, or "Mexico Aerospace and Defense" in English, shared the video Jan. 7 on Facebook, YouTube, X and TikTok. The video's caption says the footage shows the Mexican Air Force and Navy's fleet of helicopters but doesn't mention the California fires.
The organization shares content related to "aviation and defense in Latin America" for an audience that includes enthusiasts and professionals in aerospace and defense, including government and law enforcement officials, its website states in Spanish. Paste BN reached out to the site to confirm what the Jan. 7 clip shows but didn't immediately receive a response.
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On Jan. 11 – four days after the helicopter video was shared – Mexico sent a team of more than 70 firefighters and disaster relief workers to Los Angeles, according to a statement from Newsom's office. It includes an image showing the governor and the group standing on a tarmac in front of a large plane – not a helicopter.
Mexico's Secretary of National Defense also announced the move that day on X and included a picture of the team standing in front of the plane.
Paste BN reached out to the users who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive responses.
PolitiFact, Lead Stories and Reuters also debunked the claim.
Our fact-check sources
- México Aeroespacial y Defensa, Jan. 7, X post
- México Aeroespacial y Defensa, Jan. 7, Facebook post
- México Aeroespacial y Defensa, Jan. 7, TikTok post
- México Aeroespacial y Defensa (YouTube), Jan. 7, Asi es la poderosa flota de helicópteros Mexicana
- México Aeroespacial y Defensa (YouTube), Sept. 12, 2018, Impresionante; la Fuerza Aérea y la Armada de México, ponen en el aire 162 aeronaves
- Defensamx, Jan. 11, X post
- Gavin Newsom, Jan. 11, Governor Newsom welcomes firefighters from Mexico to boost firefighting capacity
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