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Secretary Rubio visits five countries to press partners on migration, fentanyl and economic ties
Summary
Secretary Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, toured Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic this week to push partners on returning migrants, halting illegal migration, expanding economic opportunity and addressing the fentanyl threat, U.S. Department of State staff said.
Secretary Rubio, the U.S. secretary of state, traveled this week to Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic to press regional partners to return migrants, halt illegal migration and expand economic opportunities, U.S. Department of State staff said.
The trip focused on three tied priorities the department described as central to regional stability: stemming mass migration flows, combating the fentanyl crisis and countering adversarial influence in the Western Hemisphere.
"This week, secretary Rubio took his first international trip as secretary of state, traveling to countries in our hemisphere, Panama, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and The Dominican Republic," Speaker 1, a U.S. Department of State staff member, said. The department released the summary in a short briefing segment.
"This is where we live. This is the region we call home, and it's where our future prosperity and security, in large part, will depend," Speaker 2, a U.S. Department of State staff member, said, framing the trip as focused on long-term regional stability.
According to the department remarks, "the secretary discussed the mass migration crisis, which has destabilized our entire region. Our partners play an important role in returning illegal migrants to their countries and halting illegal migrant flows," Speaker 1 said. The department also said it will assist people in the United States who need help reaching their final destinations in their countries of origin.
At each stop, the secretary "also emphasized ways to expand economic opportunities that make our entire hemisphere more prosperous," Speaker 1 said. The department framed economic cooperation as linked to migration reduction and cited cooperation on law enforcement and counternarcotics as part of the agenda.
The briefing noted regional work to "halt migration, tackle the fentanyl crisis, and combat adversarial influences," and said the trip "advanc[ed] the Trump administration's America First foreign policy," a phrase used in the department's summary. The remarks did not specify concrete new programs, funding amounts or bilateral agreements resulting from the visits.
The department presentation was a short overview; no formal actions or binding agreements were listed in the segment. The department closed the segment with a sign-off, "And that was our week at state on the secretary's first trip. See you next time," Speaker 1 said.
