Earlier this week, Secretary Jeh Johnson traveled to the Southwest border – his second time visiting the region since taking office on December 23 – to see border security operations in Texas and Arizona first hand.
On Tuesday, Secretary Johnson was in McAllen, Texas where he met with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel and received briefings on DHS’s efforts to secure the border while facilitating travel and trade.
CBP personnel gave Secretary Johnson tours of the border operations along the Rio Grande River, in the Rio Grande Valley and at the Port of Anzalduas.
While in Texas, he also met with state and local law enforcement officials. Throughout the trip, Secretary Johnson thanked the men and women of DHS who work every day to secure our borders and made clear that the border in this region continues to evolve and must be a continued area of focus for the Department.
On Wednesday, Secretary Johnson traveled to Arizona for more briefings on border operations, and meetings with more state and local law enforcement officials and other stakeholders.
Secretary Johnson, joined by U.S. Representative Ron Barber (pictured above), met with CBP personnel and took an aerial tour of the border. Secretary Johnson also visited the Hedglen Forward Operating Base, and received briefings from CBP and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials at the Joint Field Command office in Tucson.
Of his visit to Arizona, Secretary Johnson said, “DHS personnel work every day to keep our nation safe and our border secure. While progress has been made, there is more to do and I look forward to continuing to work with our partners in Arizona towards our common goal of a secure border that facilitates trade and supports local businesses.”
You can read more about Secretary Johnson’s visit to the Southwest border on our website by visiting here and here.