OKLAHOMA CITY — Guatemala City is about 1,500 miles south of here, with a population about four times as large, but the Central American capital figures prominently in the vision of Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford.

Some of the most knotty problems facing the United States — narcotics trafficking, human trafficking and immigration — are tied to Guatemala and its capital, he noted.

“If we can deal with (drug) interdiction in Guatemala and off the Guatemalan coast, it makes a tremendous difference,” said Lankford, a Republican, adding that 80 percent of the cocaine flowing into the United States passes through Guatemala via Colombia and Ecuador.

The state’s junior senator recently visited the country of about 15 million people with a small group of staff. Lankford said he found that Guatemalans are “very aggressive” in rooting out corruption.

During his visit, he met with new President Jimmy Morales, whose predecessor, Otto Perez Molina, resigned last year amid allegations of corruption. In addition, Guatemalan authorities arrested the vice president, former members of congress and members of the military and police during a crackdown.

Lankford – who also met the new vice president, attorney general and Supreme Court, as well as military and congressional leaders — said “courageous” decisions to change a culture of corruption will take a long time to implement.

For the United States, an important area of focus in Guatemala involves stemming the flow of children and families to the U.S. border.

In January, the White House noted that numbers of would-be immigrants increased last fall and winter — seasons when immigration usually declines.

Lankford said most who leave Guatemala leave behind the isolated, poor western highlights, where Mayan languages are still spoken. The capital, Guatemala City, is like a distinct country — with more wealth and modern convenience, though intermingled with poverty.

Work is hard to find in many places, he said, adding that economics are a key motivation to leave.

“This belief that people are fleeing Guatemala because of the high rate of crime (is false),” he said. “It is because of the high rate of poverty.”

While visiting, Lankford said he saw efforts to repatriate 55 people — all but three were men — who had been living illegally in the United States. Many had been in the United States for more than a decade.

Guatemala is part of an impoverished group of Central American countries — along with Honduras and El Salvador — known as the “Northern Triangle.”

The area has drawn increased attention from Congress and President Barack Obama’s administration.

As part of a recent appropriations bill, Congress earmarked $750 million in aid for countries intended to stop illegal immigration before it reaches the U.S. border; combat human smuggling; fight corruption; counter criminal activities; and build a path for the safe return of those who’ve sought asylum in the United States.

The plan doubles what the United States sent to the region in 2014, White House officials noted.

Janelle Stecklein covers the Oklahoma Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at jstecklein@cnhi.com.