The fifth meeting of the Mexico-United States Bilateral Security Cooperation Group was held today in Mexico City, with the two delegations discussing issues of bilateral coordination related to the priorities established during the Strategic Dialogue on Combating Transnational Criminal Organizations held May 18 in Washington, D.C. and co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Luis Videgaray and Interior Secretary Miguel Angel Osorio Chong with U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and then-Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly.

During this fifth meeting, the progress made in security since our last meeting in November 2016 was discussed, including counternarcotics cooperation, border security, combating arms trafficking and money laundering, as well as human smuggling and human trafficking.

The Mexican delegation was led by Eugenio Imaz Gispert, Director General of the National Center for Investigation and National Security, and included the Foreign Ministry's Undersecretary for North America, Carlos Manuel Sada Solana, and officials from the Ministries of the Interior, Defense, Navy, Finance and Health, and the Attorney General's Office.

The U.S. delegation was led by Michael Dougherty, Assistant Secretary for Border, Immigration and Trade Policy of the Department of Homeland Security; and John Creamer, Department of State Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs.  The U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Roberta Jacobson, and officials from various United States agencies also participated.

The Mexican government will continue these and other efforts based on the principles of shared responsibility, mutual trust and respect for sovereignty that contribute to achieving the goal of a peaceful Mexico.