190904 Wall
View of the Mexico-US wall in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico. Image Credit: AFP

Washington: The US Defence Department said Tuesday it was freeing up $3.6 billion (D13.2 billion) in funds budgeted for other projects to build a wall on the Mexican border as ordered by President Donald Trump.

Six weeks after being confirmed by Congress, Defence Secretary Mike Esper has signed off on the diversion of funds from 127 “deferred military projects” both inside and outside the country, said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffmann.