The Pentagon chief made the remark during a Jan. 31 call with top Mexican military officials, while urging them to address collusion between their country’s government and violent criminal

At the same time, Republican lawmakers are aiming to add more than $100 billion to the Pentagon’s proposed budget, which would push military spending close to $1 trillion a year.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth sent a direct message to drug cartels from Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday evening during an appearance on Fox News, stating that “nothing” is “off the table” when it comes to keeping Americans safe.

The defense secretary’s told Mexican security officials the U.S. was ready to take unilateral action against the country’s drug cartels.