Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth greets troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Hegseth arrived at the military installation on Tuesday, his first visit there since being confirmed in January. (@SecDef via X)
"These warriors are directly supporting the apprehension and deportation of dangerous illegal aliens," he wrote. "We cannot thank them or their families enough."
The base is best known for detaining terrorism suspects, including those behind the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. President Donald Trump authorized the detention of illegal immigrants at the facility shortly after taking office on Jan. 20.
In January, Trump said he wanted to expand immigrant detention centers at Guantánamo to hold as many as 30,000 people.
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks with troops at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. (@SecDef via X)
The U.S. government has alleged that Venezuelan illegal immigrants transferred to the naval base are members of the violent Tren de Aragua gang. Trump has turned the gang into the face of the alleged threat posed by immigrants living in the country illegally.
Louis Casiano is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to louis.casiano@fox.com.
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