Story highlights Retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly has been offered the job as Donald Trump's director of Homeland Security

Kelly is the former head of US Southern Command, overseeing threats from South and Central America

(CNN) President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Gen. John Kelly to head the Department of Homeland Security, the transition announced Monday.

"He is the right person to spearhead the urgent mission of stopping illegal immigration and securing our borders, streamlining TSA and improving coordination between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies," Trump said in a statement. "With Gen. Kelly at the helm of DHS, the American people will have a leader committed to our safety as well as one who will work hand-in-hand with America's rank-and-file TSA, ICE and Border Patrol officers."

The former head of US Southern Command, Kelly was previously responsible for managing security threats posed by criminal drug networks based in South and Central America -- an issue that Trump highlighted in his campaign, and to which Kelly would bring unique experience.

In his former role, Kelly also oversaw operations at the controversial Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba. The outspoken general clashed with the Obama administration's push to close the facility, and told the Military Times in an interview that "there are no innocent men down there."

If Kelly and retired Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis -- who was tapped as Trump's secretary of defense last week -- are both nominated and confirmed, then it would place two retired Marine generals into Cabinet posts in his administration.

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