Counternarcotics and Law Enforcement Country Program: Eastern Caribbean
Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs
Fact Sheet
April 23, 2009
Problem
The Eastern Caribbean encompasses a large part of the vulnerable “third border” of the United States, covering 150,000 square miles, including seven independent countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Despite our shared commitment to democracy and to foreign policy objectives such as counterterrorism and energy security, relationships with the countries of the eastern Caribbean has been weakened in recent years due to a perception that the United States is no longer engaged in, and committed to, the region. The dollar diplomacy of Venezuela, China, and Cuba has also played a role in the fraying of ties.
The region’s weak or ineffective border controls threaten U.S. border security because they can be exploited by persons with terrorist, narcotics trafficking, and other criminal ties. Criminal activity on the islands has blossomed, fueled in large part by the drug trade. Drug interdiction and money laundering, especially, are issues of critical importance in this region. To remain effective, the State Department and Embassy Barbados hopes to continue funding robust training programs, reinstate the NAO position and fund programs for the NAS, and add a position to the IRS investigator’s office, which currently covers terrorism finance and money laundering for 24 countries and territories with just one full-time officer.
U.S. Counternarcotics Goals
Augment ability of responsible agencies to investigate, prosecute, seize criminal assets, interdict illicit drug and chemical shipments, and control money laundering. Performance indicators include:
Narcotics Law Enforcement/Interdiction: The seven Eastern Caribbean states support a treaty-based Regional Security System (RSS) in addition to their own law enforcement services. The Barbados Government officially pays 40 percent of the RSS’s budget, but as many smaller countries are often in arrears, Barbados in actuality pays up to 80 percent of costs. The U.S. has provided partial support to the RSS for its twice-yearly basic training course, which includes marijuana eradication exercises for police special services units.
The provision of training and equipment, including replacement vehicles, computer equipment, and law enforcement equipment for drug squads and anti-drug maritime units will enhance their ability to effect interdictions. Funds will be allocated for the Regional Security System (RSS) and will provide a basic training course for marijuana eradication exercises for police special services unit. Basic accessory and safety equipment will be provided to the RSS to maintain the units. Barbados will host the Drug Commanders Conference that provides bilateral anti-narcotics officers their most important opportunity to establish contacts and consult with DEA and other U.S. anti-narcotics expertise on counternarcotics programs.
The DEA-led “Operation Reef Shark” targets trafficking organizations using specially selected and vetted law enforcement personnel from the islands to conduct investigations aimed dismantling their operations. Continued funding will provide technical assistance and training to the police participating in “Reef Shark.”
Embassy Barbados works with all seven islands to enhance government capacity to secure their borders and territorial seas, prevent transnational criminal organizations from entrenching themselves on the U.S. “third border,” to increase U.S.-EC cooperation in disruption of narcotics trafficking and other international crime activities, facilitate effective legislation; and promote transparency, corruption reduction, and effective information sharing among relevant agencies.
Money laundering: A critical part of disrupting criminal organizations is enhancing the government’s capacity to disrupt and deter money laundering operations and other financial crimes. The Mission will increase training, technical assistance, mentoring and equipment for Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and bank regulatory bodies while providing investigative assistance to international financial crimes investigations. Cyber Forensics Training Center: DS-ATA is funding the establishment of two cyber forensics labs in the region – one in Antigua and another in Trinidad. DS-ATA is proposing to incorporate Barbados police officers in the training courses slated for Antigua.
The Eastern Caribbean encompasses a large part of the vulnerable “third border” of the United States, covering 150,000 square miles, including seven independent countries – Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Despite our shared commitment to democracy and to foreign policy objectives such as counterterrorism and energy security, relationships with the countries of the eastern Caribbean has been weakened in recent years due to a perception that the United States is no longer engaged in, and committed to, the region. The dollar diplomacy of Venezuela, China, and Cuba has also played a role in the fraying of ties.
The region’s weak or ineffective border controls threaten U.S. border security because they can be exploited by persons with terrorist, narcotics trafficking, and other criminal ties. Criminal activity on the islands has blossomed, fueled in large part by the drug trade. Drug interdiction and money laundering, especially, are issues of critical importance in this region. To remain effective, the State Department and Embassy Barbados hopes to continue funding robust training programs, reinstate the NAO position and fund programs for the NAS, and add a position to the IRS investigator’s office, which currently covers terrorism finance and money laundering for 24 countries and territories with just one full-time officer.
U.S. Counternarcotics Goals
Augment ability of responsible agencies to investigate, prosecute, seize criminal assets, interdict illicit drug and chemical shipments, and control money laundering. Performance indicators include:
- Increased number of interdictions and quantity of drugs and contraband seized;
- Increased number of arrests and successful prosecutions of drug traffickers and money launderers; and
- Increased amount and value of illicit assets seized and forfeited.
Narcotics Law Enforcement/Interdiction: The seven Eastern Caribbean states support a treaty-based Regional Security System (RSS) in addition to their own law enforcement services. The Barbados Government officially pays 40 percent of the RSS’s budget, but as many smaller countries are often in arrears, Barbados in actuality pays up to 80 percent of costs. The U.S. has provided partial support to the RSS for its twice-yearly basic training course, which includes marijuana eradication exercises for police special services units.
The provision of training and equipment, including replacement vehicles, computer equipment, and law enforcement equipment for drug squads and anti-drug maritime units will enhance their ability to effect interdictions. Funds will be allocated for the Regional Security System (RSS) and will provide a basic training course for marijuana eradication exercises for police special services unit. Basic accessory and safety equipment will be provided to the RSS to maintain the units. Barbados will host the Drug Commanders Conference that provides bilateral anti-narcotics officers their most important opportunity to establish contacts and consult with DEA and other U.S. anti-narcotics expertise on counternarcotics programs.
The DEA-led “Operation Reef Shark” targets trafficking organizations using specially selected and vetted law enforcement personnel from the islands to conduct investigations aimed dismantling their operations. Continued funding will provide technical assistance and training to the police participating in “Reef Shark.”
Embassy Barbados works with all seven islands to enhance government capacity to secure their borders and territorial seas, prevent transnational criminal organizations from entrenching themselves on the U.S. “third border,” to increase U.S.-EC cooperation in disruption of narcotics trafficking and other international crime activities, facilitate effective legislation; and promote transparency, corruption reduction, and effective information sharing among relevant agencies.
Money laundering: A critical part of disrupting criminal organizations is enhancing the government’s capacity to disrupt and deter money laundering operations and other financial crimes. The Mission will increase training, technical assistance, mentoring and equipment for Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) and bank regulatory bodies while providing investigative assistance to international financial crimes investigations. Cyber Forensics Training Center: DS-ATA is funding the establishment of two cyber forensics labs in the region – one in Antigua and another in Trinidad. DS-ATA is proposing to incorporate Barbados police officers in the training courses slated for Antigua.
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