U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will conduct press conferences and survey border-security operations in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona, according to the White House.

The visits, announced in a April 13 press release, are meant to further coordinate action between federal and local law enforcement officials as part of a "major push" to target weapons and cash smugglings, as well as illegal immigration.

Napolitano's will visit ports of entry on the U.S. and Mexico border, beginning at the El Paso Port of Entry in Texas on April 15 at 1 p.m. Her other stops include New Mexico's Columbus Port of Entry and the Mariposa Port of Entry in Nogales.

The visits follow a three-day border trip by Napolitano at the beginning of this month with the purpose of witnessing border operations and meeting with Mexican officials, including President Felipe Calderón.