U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday he is exploring ways to strengthen U.S.-Mexican defense ties, including the possibility of training exercises with Mexican forces. Mr. Hagel made the comment Wednesday to reporters traveling with him to Mexico City for talks Thursday with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts. Mr. Hagel said Thursday's talks would also touch on security threats in the region, such as violent extremist groups, as well as potential areas of cooperation, including disaster relief planning and humanitarian assistance. Mr. Hagel also is scheduled to visit Guatemala before returning to Washington on Friday. Mr. Hagel, on his first trip to Latin America since he took office in February 2013, said he sees a lot of room for improvement in how the U.S. interacts with the region.
