WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says Americans “must own” the problem of narcotics addiction if it wants to end the scourge of drug trafficking and cross-border violence.
Tillerson spoke Thursday after talks on combatting transnational crime with senior Mexican officials. He says U.S. demand for opioids and other drugs is a prime driver of not only devastating overdose death tolls in the United States, but of raging gang violence in Mexico.
He says: “We Americans must own this problem.”
Tillerson says that in addition to addressing the domestic addiction epidemic, the Trump administration will work with Mexico to disrupt drug traffickers by hitting production sites, transportation networks and their cash flow.
