Pentagon could send thousands more troops to US-Mexico border

The Pentagon could send thousands more troops to the US-Mexico border, a US official said Monday, as President Donald Trump warned a caravan of Central American migrants that the military was waiting.

Such a large deployment would represent a sharp increase from initial estimates last week, when US officials said about 800 active-duty troops would be sent to provide assistance -- mainly in the form of logistical support -- to border guards working along the frontier.

But on Monday, the Wall Street Journal reported that 5,000 troops would be deploying to the southern border.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, a US official backed the 5,000 figure -- but cautioned that planning is still under way and said no final decisions have been made on numbers.

In a statement, the Pentagon said: "It remains premature to speculate total numbers or specific forces to be selected to accomplish the requested missions."