US homeland security chief to meet Belgian prime minister to tackle drug smuggling

ANTWERP, Belgium (AP) – U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is expected to meet Tuesday with Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever in the port of Antwerp to discuss maritime security and bilateral efforts to fight transnational drug smuggling.

De Wever, a former mayor of Antwerp, has traveled internationally to tackle surging drug trafficking through northern Europe, Belgium’s national broadcaster reported. The meeting with Noem “will underscore the close cooperation between Belgium and the United States in the area of security and the fight against international organized crime,” his office said.

More drugs flowed through Antwerp’s port than any other European facility, according to the 2025 annual report by the European Union Drugs Agency.

The report found cocaine seizures in Europe in 2023 hit a record for a seventh straight year, with 419 metric tons (462 tons) of cocaine confiscated by authorities. Belgium led with 123 metric tons (135 tons), followed by Spain with 118 metric tons (130 tons) and the Netherlands with 59 metric tons (65 tons). The three countries with major ports accounted for 72% of the total grabbed by agents.

The drugs agency’s early warning system to spot new synthetic drugs has identified 1,000 new substances in its 27 years of existence. Authorities have warned illicit drug flows will spark violent crime and raise addiction rates across the continent. Europe remains the leading producer and exporter of ecstasy.

Since taking charge of Homeland Security, Noem has travelled globally to set up and reinforce cooperative law enforcement agreements in South America and Europe. She met Tuesday in London with ministers from the “Five Eyes” intelligence-sharing partnership focused on border security.

Newly appointed U.K. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood welcomed Noem and ministers from Canada, Australia and New Zealand to the 18th-century headquarters of the Honourable Artillery Company for talks on countering unauthorized migration, child sexual abuse and the spread of opioids.

Noem said there had not been disagreements among the ministers in talks focused on sharing information on criminal gangs, using technology to disrupt their networks and speeding extradition arrangements. The far-flung countries are close allies with some common problems but also widely differ in their approaches to migration,

The Trump administration’s program of street raids, mass detentions and large-scale deportations of unauthorized migrants has drawn domestic and international criticism and a host of legal challenges.