Thousands of US soldiers could be sent to the Mexican border: sources

By Phil Stewart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Thousands of US troops could be sent to the Mexican border before a caravan of migrants heading for the United States, US officials said on Monday, offering estimates much higher than those originally planned .

The Pentagon declined to comment on the potential number of soldiers, saying that planning a mission could drag the US military into a politically charged operation just days before the November 6 congressional elections was still going on.

President Donald Trump, who seized the caravan of Central American migrants at the polls before the vote, said on Twitter that the army would wait for the procession, suggesting a much more direct role in the fight against migrants than US defense officials. previously suggested.

"Many gang members and very bad people are part of the Caravan heading to our southern border," Trump tweeted.

"Please, come back, you will not be allowed in the United States unless you go through the legal process. It's an invasion of our country and our military is waiting for you!" he added.

US officials told Reuters last week that the military would not have an active role in enforcing the law; instead, it sent engineers, pilots and other support staff, including people capable of managing crowd control on the US side of the border. Pentagon officials declined to comment on Monday.

Last week, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis authorized the use of troops and other military resources at the US-Mexico border. US officials told Reuters they would begin deploying on Tuesday and that their mission would be allowed until mid-December.

This authorization could be extended, they noted.

Mattis' authorization last week allowed the military to provide "mission-enhancing capabilities" to US Customs and Border Protection to help build barriers and temporary housing .

On Sunday, Mattis told reporters that some building materials had already been transferred to the border, including gates. He added that the Ministry of Defense was still planning the logistics and details of the deployment.

Mattis suggested that the mission would take time to develop, saying it would be a "progressive" operation. US officials told Reuters that the support mission would be coordinated by the US North Command.

Trump, who campaigned against illegal immigration to win the 2016 US presidential vote, seized the caravan ahead of the parliamentary elections, supporting his Republican party, which is seeking to maintain control of the country. Congress.

If the Republicans lose Congress, it will be much more difficult for Trump to continue his political agenda in the remaining two years of his term.

Estimates on the size of the caravan vary from about 3,500 to more than double. Some migrants have abandoned the trip, discouraged by the difficulties or the opportunity to rebuild their lives in Mexico. Others have joined in southern Mexico.

Trump's decision to appeal to the army appears to be a change from past practice, at least in recent years, in which such operations were conducted by the National Guard – mostly part-time military often called to be used in response to domestic emergencies.

There are already 2,100 US National Border Guard forces sent after a previous Trump request in April.

The decision to send forces on active service this time gives the Pentagon the opportunity to transfer more capacity faster than would be immediately available with the Guard, officials told Reuters.

(Report by Phil Stewart, edited by Chizu Nomiyama and Alistair Bell)