Pentagon chief visits Mexico border as Trump cracks down on migration

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the southern US border with Mexico on Monday as President Donald Trump carries out a hard-right agenda that includes boosting the country's military presence to combat illegal immigration.

In his first trip as Pentagon chief, he met with US troops who have been surged to the border region under Trump. Trump has ordered 1,500 additional military personnel to the border and his administration has carried out highly publicized immigration raids and arrests.

Border security is a key priority for the president, who declared a national emergency at the US frontier with Mexico on Trump first day in office and also designated drug cartels as terrorist organizations.