UPDATE (3/7): According to a spokesperson for the Defense Department, the military's new border assignment in the Valley will not include detaining people or confiscating drugs.

Col. Cathy Wilkinson issued a statement reiterating that "the military will not perform law enforcement duties."

Their current assignment involves monitoring remote surveillance cameras and reporting movement or suspicious activities to Border Patrol agents.

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MCALLEN – The Department of Defense says the number of active-duty troops along the border will fluctuate as units rotate in and out of the operation.

Some restaurants near the McAllen Convention Center took notice last time troops came to the Rio Grande Valley in November.

Cowboy Chicken manager, Ashley De La Garza, says they’re noticing the increase of troops in the area.

"We notice a lot of increase on to-go orders, especially deliveries," says De La Garza.

The Department of Defense's Northern Command says there are around 4,000 active-duty military personnel working alongside Customs and Border Protection at the Southwest Border.

The department says the specific number of troops stationed in the Valley is unclear.

Approximately 1,100 troops are working to monitor CBP's mobile surveillance camera systems, leaving more agents to be out in the field.

Acting Secretary of Defense Patrick Shanahan approved a request for additional Department of Defense assistance to the Department of Homeland Security.

The additional assistance is approved through Sept. 30, which will bring the total to more than 6,000 active-duty troops and National Guardsmen at the border.

For more information watch the video above.
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