US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered between 2,500 and 3,000 soldiers to be sent to the border with Mexico, including units equipped with Stryker armored personnel carriers, writes the Washington Post (WP), citing Pentagon sources.
According to the newspaper, the head of the Pentagon issued the order on Friday.
According to the publication's sources, these are soldiers from the 2nd „Stryker“ Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division, based at the Fort Carson military base in Colorado. In addition, military personnel specializing in engineering, intelligence and public relations will be sent to the southern border of the United States.
Earlier, Hegseth said that the Pentagon would provide all necessary resources, including additional troops, to tighten control of the US border with Mexico. The US administration announced that 1,500 soldiers, helicopters and military intelligence units would be deployed to the western part of the border with Mexico.
On January 20, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency on the US-Mexico border. He said that this would allow troops to be sent to the southern border to “repel a catastrophic invasion“ of illegal migrants into the country. Previously, the head of the White House has repeatedly spoken out in favor of tightening immigration policy. He intends to conduct "the largest deportation operation of illegal immigrants in American history".