US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the United States has neglected its own security for too long to protect other countries.
He made the statement at a meeting of military leaders from 34 countries in Washington, cited by the Pentagon.
„The consequences of this are catastrophic for our country and for your countries. Fentanyl, cocaine and other deadly drugs have flooded our border, poisoning and killing millions of Americans. "The number of Americans killed by these weapons and threats far exceeds the number of American casualties in any war," the Pentagon quoted him as saying in a statement.
Hegseth noted that the number of illegal immigrants arriving in the United States has grown exponentially in recent years, prompting the country's authorities to deploy military forces to secure the Mexican border by 2025.