Mexico sends nearly 15K troops to the US border

Source: CNN:::

June 24, 2019 at 19:09

Soldiers working with Mexico’s National Guard waiting at an immigration checkpoint in southern Mexico this month.CreditLuis Antonio Rojas for The New York Times

The deployments come after renewed pressure from the Trump administration on Mexico to help slow migration flows northward

(CNN) - Mexico has deployed almost 15,000 troops to the US-Mexico border, according to the country's Secretary of Defense Luis Sandoval.

"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," Sandoval announced today in Cancun.

Approximately 2,000 National Guard members have already been deployed to Mexico's southern border with Belize and Guatemala, he noted, adding to the 4,500 troops already spread across the area. Many migrants begin their journey in Central America and even further south, passing through Mexico on their way toward the United States.

The deployments come after renewed pressure from the Trump administration on Mexico to help slow migration flows northward. Mexico, however, has also called on the United Nations and the United States to help with the monumental task.

"Migration is not a crime, it is an administrative responsibility," Sandoval said.