Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of a Stryker Brigade Combat Team and General Support Aviation Battalion to the U.S.-Mexico border on Saturday to bolster security at the southern border.

The Defense Department stated that about 3,000 troops will be included in the deployment. This will bring the total number of military personnel at the U.S. border to 9,000.

“These deployments will bring additional agility and capability to further efforts to stop the flow of illegal migrancy and drugs at the southern border,” said Gen. Gregory Guillot, commander of United States Northern Command.

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United States Northern Command noted that about 2,400 of the troops will be used for detection and monitoring; administrative support; transportation support; warehousing and logistics support; vehicle maintenance; and engineering support. An additional 500 soldiers will assist in the movement of personnel, equipment, and supplies, and provide aerial medical evacuation capabilities.

It is unclear how long their deployment will last. Officials did not specify where along the border the troops will be located.

"These forces will arrive in the coming weeks and their deployment underscores the Department's unwavering dedication to working alongside the Department of Homeland Security to secure our southern border and maintain the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and security of the United States under President Trump's leadership," the Defense Department said in a statement on Saturday.

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Under U.S. law, troops are unable to directly conduct law enforcement missions at the border.

Both the outgoing Biden administration and the new Trump administration have reported a decline in border crossings in recent months.