The Department of Defense (DOD) is sending 1,140 additional US troops to the US southern border to strengthen U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) efforts to control the influx of illegal immigrants.
“DOD continues to work with the Department of Homeland Security to fill key capabilities gaps at the tropical borders in accordance with President Trump's executive orders, and “protects the American people from aggression,” the US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) said.
Currently, the southern border has 4,300 active US military forces, with 1,140 troops bringing the total to 5,440 active duty veterans.
Usnorthcom said additional forces will help operate the joint task force, including commanding and managing sustainable units, coordinating logistics support, outdoor supply support sites and managing logistics movements.
Trump's State Department declares Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and Mexican drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations
The US Marine Army patrols the US-Mexico border area seen from San Diego on February 7, 2025. (Carlos Moreno/Nur Photo via Getty Images)
The deployed army units come from the maintenance brigade of the 101st Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. 189th Division Sustainment Support Battalion (DSSB) in Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Bravo Company, 68th DSSB, Fort Carson, Colorado. Charlie Company, DSSB 129, Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Headquarters and Headquarters, 264th Combat Maintenance Support Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina. 70th Movement Control Team, joint base in Langley Eust, Virginia. 564th Quarter Master Company, joint base at Lewis-McChord, Washington.
The Trump administration has designated eight gangs and cartels, including Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel and MS-13, and has encouraged foreign terrorist organizations to expand the U.S. government's ability to crack down on criminal organizations operating on their territory.
Noem has made a proactive new move to strengthen arrests and deport illegal immigrants
The pentagon is seen from flights taking off from Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in Arlington, Virginia. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said as of this month's announcement there was “sufficient de facto basis” under section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act to issue designations for gangs and cartels.
The Trump administration also began sending illegal immigrant flights to Cuba's Guantanamo Bay Detention Center earlier this month.
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Approximately 30,000 “illegal criminal aliens” could be held at a base that once housed hundreds of prisoners.
Rachel Wolf of Fox News Digital contributed to this report.
