Hegseth met with the Minister of Defense of El Salvador and praised the relationship between the two governments

TheU.S. Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, met this Wednesday with the Minister of Defense of El Salvador, Rene Merino, at the Pentagon, as part of a bilateral meeting in which the official of the Administration of the U.S. president Donald Trump praised the bond the two countries have grown closer in recent months. "What's clear to us ... is that our relationship with El Salvador is stronger than ever, and it's only just beginning," Hegseth told Merino shortly before the start of the meeting, a phrase that was shared by the Defense Department in a statement.

Similarly, Hegseth praised the actions taken by the government of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele against organized crime and drug trafficking since the beginning of his term, noting that what the Central American country has done has represented "nothing short of a miracle". Likewise, Hegseth detailed that Trump greatly valued allies such as the Bukele government, considering that they have an "impact" that is as crucial as it is decisive. "Your country's victories over violent cartels and criminal enterprises — groups that terrorized your people and your communities — are a model for all in our hemisphere," the secretary said.

Appreciation for hosting deportees

On the other hand, the secretary also thanked Merino for the cooperation of his country's government with the numerous deportations that the United States has been carrying out in the last few months, sending hundreds of criminals to the CECOT maximum security prison, including suspected members of both the Salvadoran terrorist gang Mara Salvatrucha and the Venezuelan terrorist gang Tren de Aragua. "El Salvador has set a great example for strong bilateral cooperation ... with the United States," said Hegseth, who also acknowledged "the many ways in which El Salvador has stood with America over the years," also mentioning that Merino himself was a company commander during Operation Iraqi Freedomin 2008 and 2009.

The meeting between Hegseth and Merino comes just two days after Trump and Bukele met in the Oval Office of the White House, in which both leaders shared praise and explained the fundamentals of the bilateral relations that both governments have established, especially on issues such as illegal immigration and security.