"100% OPERATIONAL CONTROL will be had at the southern border," said Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth of the announcement on X

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved orders on Friday to further militarize the U.S. southern border with Mexico, officials said.

The Pentagon is sending another 2,500 to 3,000 troops to the southern border as the Trump administration continues to ramp up its crackdown on immigration. Some of the soldiers being sent to the border come from a motorized brigade using Stryker combat vehicles, two defense officials told The Washington Post.