US Troops Headed to Southern Border in Security Move

The Pentagon is sending some 1,500 troops to the southwest border, along with helicopters and crews, the Defense Department announced today. The move represents a 60 percent increase in active-duty ground forces since President Trump was sworn in Monday, according to Acting Secretary of Defense Robert Salesses.

The troops include 1,000 soldiers and 500 Marines, a DoD source told Soldier of Fortune. The Marines already were on standby for helping during wildfires in California, but now will be assigned to the border, the source said.

The Pentagon will provide military airlift to for deportation flights of more than 5,000 people who are illegally inside the United States, Salesses said. Additionally, the DoD will help build physical barriers along the border.

This week, members of the Texas Military Department have been operating along the border in Eagle Pass, clearing brush and preparing the ground to install barriers, including concertina wire, anti-climb barriers, and razor wire.

“This is just the beginning,” Salesses said in a statement, signaling similar missions to come.