America's effort to secure the southern border could include more than 10,000 soldiers and Marines, along with combat vehicles, vastly expanding the military's footprint from Texas to California, reports The Washington Post.
The Pentagon on Wednesday said it began deploying 1,500 active-duty troops to help secure the border, putting in motion plans President Donald Trump laid out in executive orders shortly after he took office to crack down on immigration.
"In short order, the department will develop and execute additional missions in cooperation with DHS [the Department of Homeland Security], federal agencies, and state partners to address the full range of threats outlined by the President at our nation's borders," acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses said in a statement.
Defense officials added that the department is prepared to provide many more troops if asked, including up to 2,000 more Marines.
The Post report, citing U.S. officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the situation, said discussions have included sending a mechanized unit with Stryker combat vehicles from the 4th Infantry Division in Colorado, among other units.
The widely expected deployment, coming in Trump's first week in office, was an early step in his long-touted plan to expand the use of the military along the border. In one of his first orders on Monday, Trump directed the defense secretary to come up with a plan to "seal the borders" and repel "unlawful mass migration."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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