Mexico's attorney general said Monday his country is beginning to stem the flow of drugs into the United States, but won't be able to completely cut it off.

Eduardo Medina Mora Icaza said Americans are fueling drug-related crime in Mexico, spending an estimated $10 billion yearly.

``Pure cash crossing the border," Icaza said.``Weapons that are illegally shipped to Mexico from the United States and cash which relates to the illegal trade of drugs, which we assess together with the DEA (Drug Enforcement Administration) in the range of $10 billion of cash a year."

He said there's no way to break the connection between drug consumption in the United States and violence in Mexico.

``The violent behavior is the most prevalent threat to national security in Mexico," he said.

Icaza met with Gov. Janet Napolitano as he arrived in Phoenix for a conference of attorneys general from Mexico and the United States.

``The U.S. is the number one consumer in the world for drugs that are either produced or cross through Mexico," Icaza said. ``There is no way we can break the relationship between consumption in the United States" and violence in Mexico.