Mexico announced the deployment of 15,000 military and national guard troops to the country’s northern border with the U.S.
“In the northern part of the country, we have deployed a total of almost 15,000 troops composed of national guard elements and military units,” Mexican Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval told reporters during a briefing on Monday. The defense secretary said his country has also deployed 2,000 guardsmen to their southern border, UPI reported.
Estamos coadyuvando con los esfuerzos del @INAMI_mx con el despliegue de tropas en la frontera norte y sur del país en apoyo al Plan de Migración y Desarrollo, actuando en un marco de legalidad y pleno respeto a los derechos humanos. pic.twitter.com/o4J1p1o9F8
— Luis Cresencio Sandoval González (@Luis_C_Sandoval) June 24, 2019
Breitbart News reported earlier this month that Mexico announced plans to deploy up to 6,500 National Guard troops to its southern border and an additional 2,500 troops to the U.S. border.
The move comes in response to nearly 400,000 Central American and other migrants who entered the nation in the last three months on journeys to the U.S. Mexico City also discussed plans to deport approximately 2,500 migrants per day.
The deployments follow an agreement on June 7 between Mexico and the Trump Administration. The deal put on hold White House plans to impose a tariff on exports to the U.S.
Over the weekend, AFP reported that national guard troops could be seen stopping migrants from attempting to cross the U.S. border near El Paso.
“Mexican National Guard members prevent Central American migrants from crossing the Rio Bravo, in Ciudad Juarez, State of Chihuahua,” AFP Mexico tweeted.
Mexican National Guard members prevent Central American migrants from crossing the Rio Bravo, in Ciudad Juarez, State of Chihuahua, #Mexico. #AFP 📸 Herika Martinez pic.twitter.com/x4NGkspYIP
— AFPMexico (@AFPMexico) June 21, 2019