AKIPRESS.COM - The Pentagon is sending over 5,200 troops to the border with Mexico as thousands of Central American migrants walk towards the US in a caravan, BBC reports.

General Terrence O'Shaughnessy said Operation Faithful Patriot would focus on Texas, Arizona and California.

President Donald Trump earlier said the "invasion" of migrants would find the US military waiting for them.

"If they apply for asylum, we're going to hold them until such time as their trial takes place. We're going to hold them, we're going to build tent cities, we're gonna build tents all over the place," he said in an interview on Monday.

There are already 2,100 National Guard members at the border, sent after a previous request by Mr Trump in April.

The migrants are still around 1,000 miles (1,600km) from the US border.