President Donald Trump said G7 leaders signed what he described as the first G7 declaration focused on illegal immigration, along with additional agreements aimed at coordinating efforts against drug trafficking.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that leaders at the G7 summit in France signed a declaration on illegal immigration, calling it the first statement of its kind from the group.
Speaking during a press conference at the summit, Trump said G7 leaders had found a “great deal of unity” on the issue.
“And we signed a declaration on illegal immigration — the first time ever for a G7 statement,” Trump said, describing the statement as “beautiful.”
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Trump said the leaders also signed agreements to increase coordination against drug trafficking.
The president said traffickers continue to find concealed methods to move drugs across borders and through transportation routes.
“[It] comes through Mexico, comes through the southern border, the little that comes through, they find a way. They put it — they’re genius. If they would use that genius for good, they’d be very rich people. They have it in engines. They have it in hubcaps. They have it in areas you wouldn’t even believe. They have it in the structures of cars, most incredible thing,” Trump said.
Trump said his administration has reduced drug flow across several routes and would next focus more heavily on land-based trafficking.
“But we’ve done a great job on it. We have drugs coming through the border, down 61 percent. Drugs coming through water, the sea, ocean, sea, gulf, down 97.2 percent,” Trump said.
He compared interdiction efforts against drug traffickers to recent U.S. military action involving Iranian mine-related vessels.
“That’s the ones that get hit, just like we hit the Iranian mine sweepers and mine droppers, they call them,” Trump said. “We hit them just like we hit the drug dealers, but drugs are down by water 97 percent and over 60 percent, they’re down, and now we’re going to go and focus on the land.”
Trump also sharply criticized Mexico’s security situation, saying cartels have gained too much power inside the country.
“They come through Mexico. Mexico has lost control of their country,” Trump said. “The cartels run Mexico, and it’s sad. And the president is a very good woman, but she’s a very scared woman.”
“The drug cartels are totally running Mexico. It’s not even close,” Trump added.
The announcement came as Trump used his G7 appearance to highlight border security, illegal immigration and counternarcotics enforcement as international issues rather than only domestic U.S. policy matters.
The declaration’s full text was not included in the remarks provided, but Trump characterized it as a major step toward collective action among G7 nations.
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