Pentagon Deploys Additional Troops to US-Mexico Border Amid Increased Security Measures

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon is mobilizing approximately 3,000 active-duty troops to the U.S.-Mexico border as part of a renewed effort by President Donald Trump to enhance border security, U.S. officials confirmed Saturday.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has given the orders for key elements of both a Stryker brigade combat team and a general support aviation battalion to be deployed. The troops are set to arrive along the nearly 2,000-mile border in the coming weeks, officials said.

The deployment includes 2,400 soldiers from Fort Carson’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and 500 soldiers from Fort Stewart’s 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade, as detailed by U.S. Northern Command. This measure will bolster existing security operations, which already involve about 4,200 troops deployed under federal orders and around 5,000 National Guard personnel controlled by state governors.

The Pentagon described the new troops’ mission as “reinforcing and expanding current border security operations to seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States.” The Strykers are medium-armored wheeled personnel carriers designed primarily for transportation and engineering support, while the aviation brigade will assist with the movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies.

While the military’s role is expanding, officials clarified that troops will not engage in interdiction or deportation operations. Instead, their focus is on enhancing detection and monitoring capabilities at the border.

Trump has been vocal about his commitment to fortifying the military’s involvement in border security, aiming to quell illegal migration and expedite the deportation of migrants. Military assistance at the border has been ongoing for nearly three decades, addressing migration, drug trafficking, and transnational crime.

The Washington Post first reported on the deployment, which reflects an escalation in Trump’s strategy as he seeks to secure support ahead of the next election cycle.

Journalist and defense correspondent Lolita Baldor has covered Pentagon and national security issues for The Associated Press since 2005, reporting from various international conflict zones.