Cruz Meets with Leaders of El Salvador, Panama, and Mexico on a Congressional Delegation

Cruz Met with Leaders of El Salvador, Panama, and Mexico to emphasize the importance of bilateral relations in countering drug and human trafficking, addressing illegal immigration, and strengthening economic prosperity.

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – I hope everyone enjoyed their Labor Day weekend, a time to recognize those who work hard for our country and contribute each day to making our nation better. This past week, I traveled to El Salvador, Panama, and Mexico on a Congressional Delegation to meet with leaders of each country to emphasize the importance of bilateral relations in countering drug and human trafficking, addressing illegal immigration, and strengthening economic prosperity.
 
I met with President Bukele, Justice Minister Villatoro, and other leaders here in El Salvador. We discussed how El Salvador developed cutting edge anti-terrorism tactics to combat gangs, transforming their country from one of the most dangerous on Earth to one of the safest, cutting the homicide rate by 98%.

In El Salvador I had the opportunity to visit the CECOT prison which is among the strictest in the world, housing some of the most barbaric killers known to man.
 
On my second stop we visited Panama City, Panama, to meet with senior government officials, toured the Panama Canal, observed firsthand how it operates, and visited one of the two Chinese-controlled ports located at the Pacific entrance to the canal

For my last stop, I visited Mexico where I met with various ministers to discuss the many shared security objectives such as border security, stopping human and drug trafficking. The cartels are vicious, transnational criminal organizations, and the United States and Mexico should be working hand in hand to defeat the cartels and to protect the citizens of the United States and the citizens of Mexico from their horrific violence.

The United States and Mexico also share vital economic interests. We engage in an enormous amount of trade each year, about $800 billion in total. Nearly $300 billion of that is between the United States and Texas alone. Texas and Mexico have long had an intertwined history. We share culture, family, and significant economic ties. As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, I have been especially vigorous in leading the fight for more trade between the United States and Mexico, and in particular, advocating for building more bridges between South Texas and Mexico.