Last night Acting Defense Secretary Spencer approved a request to send an additional 1,000 Texas National Guard and 1,000 active duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, Pentagon officials tell Reuters. There are already about 4,500 troops on the border.
The 2,000 additional U.S. troops deploying to border with Mexico will raise total to ~6,500 (both active-duty and National Guard). About 6,000 troops were deployed there when Mattis resigned in December.
Last night Acting Defense Secretary Spencer approved a request to send an additional 1,000 Texas National Guard and 1,000 active duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border, Pentagon officials tell Reuters. There are already about 4,500 troops on the border.
— Idrees Ali (@idreesali114) July 17, 2019
The 2,000 additional U.S. troops deploying to border with Mexico will raise total to ~6,500 (both active-duty and National Guard). About 6,000 troops were deployed there when Mattis resigned in December.
— Lucas Tomlinson (@LucasFoxNews) July 18, 2019
From Breitbart
The Pentagon announced Wednesday that Acting Defense Secretary Richard Spencer approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to send an additional 1,000 active duty troops and 1,000 Texas National Guard troops to the nation’s southern border.
The active duty deployments will consist of approximately 1,100 troops providing the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol with aerial surveillance, operational, logistical, and administrative support.
The Pentagon first began sending active duty troops to the border last fall ahead of several migrant caravans from Central America making their way to the border. The active duty troops supplemented a separate mission by National Guardsmen to support border security.
The active duty troops on this deployment are meant to provide a “backfill” due to a shortfall in volunteer National Guard personnel, the Pentagon said.
The 1,000 Texas National Guard troops are deploying with the consent and under the command of Texas Governor Abbott, the Pentagon said.
Approximately 750 of the National Guard troops will provide supplemental holding support to CBP at its temporary adult migrant holding facilities in Donna, Texas, and Tornillo, Texas, the DOD said.