Pentagon ramps up US military border presence to combat cartels

Over 12,000 U.S. military troops have been deployed in strategic areas across four states located near the U.S.-Mexico border to join the fight against Mexican drug cartels as part of an initiative being driven by the Pentagon.

Top Pentagon officials testified before lawmakers on the U.S. Armed Forces Committee that battling the cartels is now being treated as a mission to defend the homeland. As part of an effort being dubbed "Operation Southern Spear," soldiers from the Southern Command are spread across six national defense areas in Arizona, California, New Mexico and Texas.

With illegal border crossings at a historic low as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on illegal immigration, the focus has shifted to cartel activity. Several transnational organizations have been linked to the flow of illicit drugs, including fentanyl, into the United States. Officials say that cartels are operating throughout the country...