With little fanfare, President Trump’s Homeland and Border chiefs have flown to Mexico to ink significant trade and security deals that are already leading to a better, more professional relationship between Washington and Mexico City.

Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen and newly-minted Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan arrived in Mexico City for bilateral meetings with top Mexican officials and tomorrow with President Enrique Pena Nieto at Los Pinos, his official residence.

Nielsen discussed security and trade issues with Interior Secretary Alfonso Navarrete Prida and Foreign Affairs Secretary Luis Videgaray Caso.

Theirs is the second high-level trip by Trump officials to Mexico since a planned trip by Pena Nieto to Washington was nixed over tense border talks. Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner visited earlier this month.

“People often underestimate the strength and commitment of the United States – Mexico partnership. However, every day, our two countries work together on some of the most pressing issues we face. While there has been some reporting suggesting that is not the case, thanks to the work of many in the U.S. government we are currently working on over 20 Memorandum of Understandings behind the scenes,” Nielsen said in a statement to Secrets.

The focus on the two days is on agreements on trade and security, a priority of McAleenan who has made five trips to Mexico.

One tackled tax and security at the border in a deal meant to cut the time it takes to inspect cargo potentially in half. An administration official said that the goal is to expand a program used at seven border crossings where Mexican and U.S. officials work together, rather than conducting individual inspections.

“This is a framework we hope to replicate beyond the seven” crossings and potentially with Canada, said the official.

Another agreement on trade is aimed at significantly eliminating fraudulent products made outside of Mexico but shipped into the U.S. via Mexican ports. It amounts to a sharing of intelligence and trade information that the U.S. hopes will kill the importation from third countries of steel, wire hangers and substandard drugs.

“It will empower CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement with better information” from Mexico, said an official.

While the two sides had had a practice of sharing information, the official said that the new agreement “invigorates the process.”

And a third memorandum addressed agricultural issues.

Nielsen said of the agreements, “The Department of Homeland Security -- and in particular CBP Commissioner McAleenan -- has worked for a year to get these three important MOUs signed today. We obviously remain committed to our partnership with Mexico.”

The official added, “We’re talking about really bringing some benefits to the American people by taking problematic goods out of the market...this is part of a continuum of our relationship with Mexico. I think that getting victories in areas like these is good and hopefully success will breed success and we will have the opportunity to do more things like this.”