US Sends 1,500 Troops to Southwest Border, Evaluates Replacement Options Amid Migrant Surge & Supports Evacuation Mission in Sudan
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III has approved a request from the Department of Homeland Security to increase the number of service members supporting U.S. Customs and Border Protection on the Southwest border. The Department of Defense (DOD) will send 1,500 active-duty soldiers and Marines for 90 days to fill critical gaps such as ground-based detection and monitoring, data entry, and warehouse support. However, they will not directly participate in law enforcement activities. Currently, there are already 2,500 National Guardsmen assisting CBP, a Homeland Security agency. The move comes in response to an expected surge in migrants following the end of pandemic-era restrictions. The Pentagon is evaluating options on replacing these forces with other sources, potentially forces from the Reserve components and contracted support. Meanwhile, the USNS Brunswick, the USS Truxton, and the USS Puller remain in the vicinity of Port Sudan to provide support for the evacuation mission. The U.S. has also deployed intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance assets in the region to monitor potential land-evacuation routes. The evacuation efforts involve organizing and synchronizing transportation from Khartoum to Port Sudan and on to Saudi Arabia for U.S. citizens and others who wished to depart Sudan.
News source :U.S. DepartmentofDefense