-Troops have already been deployed along the border
-1,500 troops were sent to the border in Jan.
-Hegseth reportedly approved the order on Friday
The Pentagon has ordered up to 3,000 active-duty troops to the southern border as it looks to increase the United States’ border sovereignty.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved the orders Friday, with 2,500 to 3,000 troops set to be deployed.
In January, the Pentagon sent up to 1,500 active-duty troops to the border, which already had approximately 2,500 U.S. National Guard and Reserve forces on hand.
“As directed by President Trump, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team (SBCT) and General Support Aviation Battalion to reinforce and expand current border security operations to seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States, a priority for the President,” a senior defense official told NewsNation.
These forces will arrive in the coming weeks and their deployment underscores the Department’s unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States under President Trump’s leadership.”
Mexican National Guard troops are currently patrolling the border in the Tijuana area as part of Mexico President Claudia Sheinbaum’s pledge amid tariff negotiations with President Trump.
The military buildup comes as the Trump administration increases pressure on Mexico to address cartel activity.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned Mexican military leadership in a private call that U.S. military action in Mexico is “on the table” if the country fails to meet the administration’s security demands.
Mexico recently extradited more than two dozen cartel leaders to the United States, including the Drug Enforcement Administration’s most wanted drug lord.
The Pentagon is sending a highly mobile Stryker Brigade Combat Team and a General Support Aviation Battalion.
The deployment includes a mechanized infantry force of 4,400 troops built around the eight-wheeled Stryker vehicle, which is designed for mobility, protection and rapid deployment.
The General Support Aviation Battalion will provide air support with 650 troops operating UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
“The added air capability ensures greater coverage of remote areas and enhances coordination with border security teams,” a Pentagon spokesperson said.
This latest deployment will join the 9,200 troops already stationed at the border — 4,200 active-duty troops under federal orders and 5,000 National Guard troops under state governor control.
Pentagon officials have not specified the exact positioning of these new troops along the border but indicated they will arrive in the coming weeks as part of the administration’s broader strategy to curb illegal crossings and drug trafficking.
-NewsNation
