Hegseth orders up to 3,000 troops and Stryker combat vehicles to Mexico border - WP
Photo: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (Getty Images)
US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the deployment of an additional 2,500 to 3,000 active-duty service members to the border with Mexico. This includes soldiers from a motorized brigade equipped with 20-ton armored Stryker combat vehicles, informs The Washington Post.
According to officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, the Pentagon chief approved the orders on Friday. The deployment primarily involves soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade at Fort Carson, Colorado. Additional soldiers specializing in engineering, intelligence, and public relations will also join the mission.
The Pentagon announced the deployment in a statement on Saturday afternoon, with the news first reported by The Washington Post.
"Hegseth has ordered the deployment of a Stryker brigade combat team and a helicopter unit to reinforce and expand current border security operations to seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States,'" The Washington Post reported.
The troops are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. The statement did not disclose the exact number of troops to be deployed.
Previously, The Washington Post reported that during his first conversation with senior Mexican military officials on January 31, Secretary Hegseth threatened a military operation. This was particularly in response to alleged collusion between the Mexican government and drug cartels.
For more details, read RBC-Ukraine's report.
