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Mexico deploys 15,000 troops to U.S. border

By Darryl Coote
Mexico's Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval announced that nearly 15,000 troops had been deployed to the country's northern border. Photo courtesy of Mexico's Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval/Twitter
Mexico's Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval announced that nearly 15,000 troops had been deployed to the country's northern border. Photo courtesy of Mexico's Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval/Twitter

June 25 (UPI) -- Mexico has deployed nearly 15,000 troops to its northern border as part of efforts to stop migrants from entering the United States, the country's Secretary of Defense Luis Cresencio Sandoval said.

"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 said Monday during a press conference.

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He said another 2,000 National Guard troops had already been deployed to the country's southern border with Belize and Guatemala.

The announcement follows the United States and Mexico having agreed June 7 to work together to stop migrants from South America reaching to the U.S.-Mexico border.

The deal was made under threat from the Trump administration that a 5 percent tariff would be imposed on all goods imported from Mexico.

The United States has been dealing with a surge in migrants attempting to enter the country through its southern border.

Sandoval said during the conference Monday that migration is not a crime but an administrative responsibility.

"We are cooperating with the [National Institute of Migration's] efforts in the deployment of troops in the northern and southern borders of the country in support of the migration and development plan, acting within a framework of legality and full respect for human rights," he said on Twitter.

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