Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said he and Mexican Foreign Minister Luis Videgaray Caso did not discuss President Trump’s campaign promise that Mexico would pay for the southern border wall during their meeting last week.
“We had no conversation about that issue,” Tillerson told ABC “This Week” host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “George, it’s just not part of our discussions between the foreign minister and myself.”
Instead, Tillerson said he and Caso have had “productive talks” about methods to minimize Central Americans traveling through Mexico to illegally enter the U.S.
Tillerson credited the undefined strategy for recent significant reductions in the number of illegal immigrants who have been apprehended by Customs and Border Protection agents from January to March. The reduction has also “pleased” the Mexican government, according to the top U.S. diplomat.
The two North American nations are also in discussions of how to improve efforts to combat transnational crime, as well as the importation of illegal drugs and exportation of weapons to Mexico.
