U.S. military officials said Friday that approximately 200 troops have arrived in the Big Bend region as part of a border security mission, with the total number expected to grow to around 500 in the coming weeks.
At a morning press briefing held in Alpine on March 15, officials from the U.S. Army and federal border agencies said the deployment began March 13 and is part of a broader push by the Trump administration to reinforce the southern border.
The troops, primarily from Fort Carson, Colorado, will operate in a support role to U.S. Border Patrol agents. They will not engage in direct enforcement or arrest duties, according to military leaders. Some troops — potentially with armored “Stryker” vehicles — will operate within Big Bend National Park.
“We will not be actively on patrols,” Maj. Gen. Jared Stefani, commander of the Army battalion stationed in the Big Bend area, said. “We’ll be at detection and monitoring sites, to provide that information to Border Patrol, to then go out and do their law enforcement function.”
In addition to the Stryker vehicles, which can be equipped with weapons if deemed necessary, the deployment will include tactical vehicles, fuel trucks, and other support vehicles. Stefani said the Strykers would primarily be used to navigate the region’s rugged terrain.
Troops may be housed at local facilities in Presidio County. Lt. Col. Sarah Ray, an Army spokesperson, confirmed the Marfa airport is under consideration, though a final housing plan has not been determined.
While the sight of military and National Guard troops has become more common in other areas of Texas, the Big Bend region has not seen such a deployment in several years. According to Border Patrol, the last active-duty troop presence in the area occurred in 2018. The region has historically had lower rates of border crossings. In February, there were just over 160 migrant encounters in the Big Bend sector, compared to nearly 1,300 in South Texas and about 2,100 in El Paso.
Still, Border Patrol officials say the added personnel help monitor and respond to activity across the area’s vast, rugged terrain.
Source: Marfa Public Radio
