Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of troops to help “seal the border and protect the territorial integrity of the United States,” according to a Department of Defense announcement. 

The deployment will consist of 3,000 troops with armored vehicles, USA Today reported. The deployment will add to the approximately 1,500 troops the Pentagon sent in January. Another 1,140 troops were mobilized to the southern border, according to a Friday announcement by the U.S. Northern Command. 

The DOD statement said the forces will arrive in the coming weeks, a move that underscores the department’s efforts to secure the southern border under the direction of President Donald Trump.

The New York Times reported that the DOD has deployed approximately 9,000 active-duty troops to help secure the border.