Texas to Send Hundreds of Troops to US-Mexico Border Within 72 Hours

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - Texas will begin sending troops to the southern border with Mexico, with 250 personnel to be deployed there within 72 hours, the commander of the Texas Army National Guard said.

"The Texas National Guard is preparing to immediately deploy the supporting aircraft, vehicles and equipment to the Texas-Mexico border," Brig. Gen. Tracy Norris told reporters on Friday. "Within 72 hours, the Texas Military Department will have 250 personnel along with ground surveillance vehicles, as well as light and medium aviation platforms."

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump said between 2,000 and 4,000 troops could be deployed to the southern frontier to help immigration enforcement secure the border. White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said later they hoped to have extra troops on the ground as soon as possible.

The announcements were made after the Customs and Border Protection agency reported this week that US law enforcement apprehended more than 37,000 migrants in March, who were attempting to cross from Mexico. The figure has doubled compared to the number of migrants who were apprehended in January.