U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's first trip since taking office will be to the United States' border with Mexico on Monday, in the latest sign that fortifying the border will be a priority for the Pentagon under President Donald Trump.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will be visiting troops in El Paso, according to a post by Hegseth on X. Hegseth announced his visit to the southern border, along with Joint Task Force North, a joint service command comprised of active-duty and reserve soldiers based in Fort Bliss.

Fort Bliss said Hegseth will host a media event and is here to “see the efforts military men and women are undertaking in support of U.S. Customs and Border Protection activities to secure the southern border.