U.S. military to send 5,200 troops to beef up border security
- 6 years ago
WASHINGTON — With the midterm elections fast approaching, Trump has begun militarizing the southern border to block caravan of approaching migrants.
Reuters reports that the U.S. Military is deploying 5,200 active duty troops to the Mexican border in response to a massive migrant caravan pushing north from Central America.
According to the head of the U.S. northern command, the first wave of the operation has reportedly begun, with 800 soldiers from Fort Knox and Fort Campbell in Kentucky already on their way to Texas.
Operation Faithful Patriot will also send medical units, C-130 and C-17 transport aircrafts, and helicopter units equipped with night vision to allow border agents to spot illegal crossers.
Twenty-two miles of barbed wire have already been sent to fortify the southern border, with more available to string an additional 150 miles, according to the Washington Post.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is tracking the caravan of 3,500 migrants, and say they are currently moving through southern Mexico. A second group of 3,000 that recently forced their way through the Mexico-Guatemala border is lagging behind.
The nearest border entry at McAllen, Texas is still over 900 miles away, so the carvan's arrival isn't imminent. Still, that hasn't stopped Trump from using what he calls their invasion to drive his conservative base to the polls for the midterms.
Reuters reports that the U.S. Military is deploying 5,200 active duty troops to the Mexican border in response to a massive migrant caravan pushing north from Central America.
According to the head of the U.S. northern command, the first wave of the operation has reportedly begun, with 800 soldiers from Fort Knox and Fort Campbell in Kentucky already on their way to Texas.
Operation Faithful Patriot will also send medical units, C-130 and C-17 transport aircrafts, and helicopter units equipped with night vision to allow border agents to spot illegal crossers.
Twenty-two miles of barbed wire have already been sent to fortify the southern border, with more available to string an additional 150 miles, according to the Washington Post.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is tracking the caravan of 3,500 migrants, and say they are currently moving through southern Mexico. A second group of 3,000 that recently forced their way through the Mexico-Guatemala border is lagging behind.
The nearest border entry at McAllen, Texas is still over 900 miles away, so the carvan's arrival isn't imminent. Still, that hasn't stopped Trump from using what he calls their invasion to drive his conservative base to the polls for the midterms.