The Pentagon announced Friday that it would direct an additional 1,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border to install barbed wire along existing border fences.
Defense officials said at a news briefing that the total size of the U.S. deployment of troops to the southern border would reach 6,000 by March 1, with 140 miles of additional concertina wire to be installed.
“That mission has evolved,” a senior defense official said. “We are now transitioning to supporting [areas] between the ports of entry. We’re laying down another 140 miles of concertina wire — [we’re] about 30 percent done with that — as well as providing a ground-based detection and monitoring mission in support of [Customs and Border Protection].”
“Our numbers right now total are about 5,000. They’ll increase to about 6,000 by March 1,” the official added.
The additional 1,000 troops are active-duty and are primarily being sent to support the two missions at the border, the official said.
“One is wire placement and the other is the detection and monitoring between the ports of entry,” they said.
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