President Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth went to the southern border on Monday for his first official trip in his new role.
The former Fox News host traveled with border czar Tom Homan to meet with troops deployed there to prevent illegal crossings.
The number of troops stationed at the southern border has doubled since Trump directed the Pentagon to take ‘full operational control’ of the ongoing crisis.
Plans are to send a total of 10,000 troops to the border, but so far approximately 2,600 Marines and Army soldiers have deployed since Hegseth began implementing Trump’s directive last week.
Additionally, 500 Marines arrived at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba on Sunday.
It will be used to house and hold illegal immigrants being deported from the U.S. until repatriation operations can take place.
‘It was an honor to meet the troops engaged in securing our southern border,’ Hegseth wrote in a post to X along with a video of him shaking hands with forces in Texas.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (left) and border czar Tom Homan (right) were briefed during a meeting with troops at the southern border in Texas on Monday, February 3
Hegseth spoke with troops who were deployed to assist in border operations as the Pentagon take ‘full operational control’ of the migrant crisis
‘They are the backbone of our nation’s security. Their dedication to service and unequalled courage safeguard the freedoms we hold dear.’
‘We will continue to deliver on this vital mission,’ the Defense Secretary said.
Hegseth and Homan spoke with those at Army Fort Bliss in El Paso, Texas on Monday as more troops prepare to deploy.
U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) briefed the two men on their operations at the border during their meeting in Texas on Monday.
‘Our service members are mission-ready and hard at work,’ Hegseth said after the meeting.
Members of the Marines and Army are tasked with helping ion detection and evasion efforts at the border.
They are also carrying out deportation flights of migrants being repatriated with their countries of origin.
Homan and Hegseth step off a plane in El Paso, Texas on Monday to shake service members’ hands as part of the Pentagon chief’s first trip in his new role after confirmation last month
The Pentagon deployed 500 troops to Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in Cuba to get the prison there ready to house illegal immigrants and prepare them for deportation. Pictured: Marines land at GITMO over the weekend
Trump promised during his 2024 campaign that he would carry out the largest deportation effort in U.S. history.
As he seeks to round up undocumented aliens within the country, agencies are looking for places to house and hold these migrants until their deportation flights.
Guantanamo Bay is one such area that will be used to house migrants awaiting deportation.
The naval base is most famous for serving as the prison site for terrorists and those suspected of connections to plotting the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
