US may send up to 7,000 soldiers to Mexico border to stop migrants

The Pentagon has identified about 7,000 troops that could be deployed to the border with Mexico if needed, a U.S. official told Reuters on Wednesday.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the number was an initial estimate and could change.

On Tuesday, the top U.S. general overseeing a deployment of more than 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico said that troop levels would rise further, but declined to say how high or estimate what the operation will cost.