Latest news with #CaribbeanBasinSecurityInitiative
Scoop
13 hours ago
- Scoop
Targeting Network Trafficking Cocaine To The United States, Europe, And The Caribbean
TAMMY BRUCE, DEPARTMENT SPOKESPERSON JUNE 5, 2025 Today, the United States is sanctioning four Guyanese nationals and two Colombian nationals responsible for trafficking tons of cocaine from South America to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. This action demonstrates strong U.S. commitment to combating illicit drug trafficking and protecting the American people. The U.S. Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) supported the investigation by the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) that resulted in today's action. This action was in coordination with Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In particular, DSS and DEA supported Guyanese authorities in the August 2024 discovery of 4.4 tons of cocaine buried deep underground in a clandestine airfield in the northwest region of Guyana that shares a border with Venezuela. The U.S. Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs provided specialized training under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative to several of Guyana's specialized counternarcotics units participating in the successful operation. Today's action is being taken pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059, which targets the proliferation of illicit drugs and their means of production. For more information about today's designations, please see Treasury's press release.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marco Rubio: The U.S. is enhancing American security through Caribbean cooperation
When President Donald Trump came into office, he committed to ensuring our foreign policy aligned with our nation's interests. To realize his vision, we are putting our region, the Americas, first. We are strengthening ties with friends and partners in our own hemisphere, including in the Caribbean. My trip to Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname reaffirms the value of this strategy. The leaders of these countries, as well as the leaders of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, understand the stakes and are willing to put in the hard work to do what's right. It's a unique relationship and one we've ignored for far too long. The U.S. and the Caribbean are bound by shared values, heritage, culture and community. Together, we are working to create a more secure region, addressing the illegal immigration crisis, taking down transnational criminal organizations that threaten our people and identifying opportunities to catalyze the Caribbean's tremendous economic potential by promoting private investments in energy. The people of the United States and the Caribbean recognize that our safety and security are intertwined. The Caribbean is often referred to as our 'third border.' As secretary of state, I oversee the implementation of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). Alongside 13 Caribbean partners, CBSI helps disrupt illicit narcotics and arms trafficking and counters transnational criminal organizations that undermine the security of the United States. CBSI delivers tangible support and meaningful results. In Suriname, we are installing a modern immigration and customs system to more effectively screen travelers — a win for both of our countries. In Jamaica, we are working to dismantle 'lotto scamming' rings that defraud U.S. and Jamaican citizens out of over $1 billion per year and fuel violent crime on the island. In Trinidad and Tobago, we support the Caribbean region's Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, which partners with U.S. law enforcement agencies to disrupt illicit firearms trafficking that supplies transnational criminal organizations. Our collaboration is making the region safer, not only for those countries but also for the millions of U.S. tourists who visit the Caribbean. At the same time, the United States is helping to unleash the economic potential of the entire Caribbean basin. This is a historic moment in the Caribbean for energy security, where disproportionately high electricity and energy prices have long hampered growth. Guyana and Suriname are poised to see increased energy production in partnership with U.S. companies. I was honored to visit Guyana and meet with President Irfaan Ali as he works to enhance his own country's economic development, while helping bolster global energy security. Their development will create good jobs in the region helping to stem mass migration. It will also empower those nations to help their fellow Caribbean partners develop and grow in the years to come. During my visit, I also witnessed the unfinished projects and empty promises of the Chinese Communist Party. China wants to take the Caribbean's raw materials and resources while offering little in return. Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative promises countries billions in investments but leaves them with shoddy construction, unsustainable debt and impoverished communities. Debt diplomacy has failed the region again and again. In 2021, for instance, the Matthews Ridge dam, built by a Chinese mining company, collapsed and flooded local communities in northwest Guyana. Roads connecting communities were washed away, leaving locals without access to basic supplies and medical care and children unable to get to school. Rather than fulfill its commitments to the people of Guyana and repair the dam, the Chinese company simply built a new dam in another location. Guyana's experience with Matthews Ridge dam is reflected around the world but especially in the region, with Belt and Road projects producing collapsing infrastructure, appalling environmental degradation, unsustainable debt burdens, and human rights abuses. China's regional partners also engage in these predatory practices. For years, Venezuela's tyrannical regime exploited the Caribbean's dependence on Venezuelan energy through the Petrocaribe scheme. A decade on, many countries still struggle to free themselves from it. Today, as the U.S. increases its role in the region, Nicolás Maduro's weakening, kleptocratic regime grows more erratic. Losing influence, Maduro turns to threats against Guyana's territorial integrity. This will not be tolerated. The Cuban regime, meanwhile, has spent decades perfecting its forced labor for foreign exchange scheme by coercing and then exporting medical professionals throughout our region under the guise of charity. During my visit, our regional partners in Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago pledged to ensure Cuban medical professionals working in their countries are treated with respect for their human and internationally recognized labor rights. They joined Barbados, which also makes sure doctors working there are not abused and exploited. Suriname, to its profound credit, shares our concerns and has no Cuban medical program. We will continue to work with Caribbean countries to ensure the region's vital healthcare needs are met, without resorting to forced labor. This is a new era in U.S.-Caribbean relations. Our friendships have never been stronger. Our approach is simple and effective: We will work with our regional partners, strengthen critical supply chains, and build energy security. But we will no longer tolerate abuses and affronts against America. Together, we will stop the criminal organizations threatening our safety. And we will push back on foreign powers' intervention in our hemisphere. By working together with our Caribbean friends, we will make our hemisphere safer, stronger, and more prosperous today and for future generations. Marco Rubio is the U.S. secretary of state. Previously, Rubio served as a U.S. senator from Florida from 2011-2025.
Miami Herald
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Marco Rubio: The U.S. is enhancing American security through Caribbean cooperation
When President Donald Trump came into office, he committed to ensuring our foreign policy aligned with our nation's interests. To realize his vision, we are putting our region, the Americas, first. We are strengthening ties with friends and partners in our own hemisphere, including in the Caribbean. My trip to Jamaica, Guyana and Suriname reaffirms the value of this strategy. The leaders of these countries, as well as the leaders of Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti, understand the stakes and are willing to put in the hard work to do what's right. It's a unique relationship and one we've ignored for far too long. The U.S. and the Caribbean are bound by shared values, heritage, culture and community. Together, we are working to create a more secure region, addressing the illegal immigration crisis, taking down transnational criminal organizations that threaten our people and identifying opportunities to catalyze the Caribbean's tremendous economic potential by promoting private investments in energy. The people of the United States and the Caribbean recognize that our safety and security are intertwined. The Caribbean is often referred to as our 'third border.' As secretary of state, I oversee the implementation of the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). Alongside 13 Caribbean partners, CBSI helps disrupt illicit narcotics and arms trafficking and counters transnational criminal organizations that undermine the security of the United States. CBSI delivers tangible support and meaningful results. In Suriname, we are installing a modern immigration and customs system to more effectively screen travelers — a win for both of our countries. In Jamaica, we are working to dismantle 'lotto scamming' rings that defraud U.S. and Jamaican citizens out of over $1 billion per year and fuel violent crime on the island. In Trinidad and Tobago, we support the Caribbean region's Crime Gun Intelligence Unit, which partners with U.S. law enforcement agencies to disrupt illicit firearms trafficking that supplies transnational criminal organizations. Our collaboration is making the region safer, not only for those countries but also for the millions of U.S. tourists who visit the Caribbean. At the same time, the United States is helping to unleash the economic potential of the entire Caribbean basin. This is a historic moment in the Caribbean for energy security, where disproportionately high electricity and energy prices have long hampered growth. Guyana and Suriname are poised to see increased energy production in partnership with U.S. companies. I was honored to visit Guyana and meet with President Irfaan Ali as he works to enhance his own country's economic development, while helping bolster global energy security. Their development will create good jobs in the region helping to stem mass migration. It will also empower those nations to help their fellow Caribbean partners develop and grow in the years to come. During my visit, I also witnessed the unfinished projects and empty promises of the Chinese Communist Party. China wants to take the Caribbean's raw materials and resources while offering little in return. Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative promises countries billions in investments but leaves them with shoddy construction, unsustainable debt and impoverished communities. Debt diplomacy has failed the region again and again. In 2021, for instance, the Matthews Ridge dam, built by a Chinese mining company, collapsed and flooded local communities in northwest Guyana. Roads connecting communities were washed away, leaving locals without access to basic supplies and medical care and children unable to get to school. Rather than fulfill its commitments to the people of Guyana and repair the dam, the Chinese company simply built a new dam in another location. Guyana's experience with Matthews Ridge dam is reflected around the world but especially in the region, with Belt and Road projects producing collapsing infrastructure, appalling environmental degradation, unsustainable debt burdens, and human rights abuses. China's regional partners also engage in these predatory practices. For years, Venezuela's tyrannical regime exploited the Caribbean's dependence on Venezuelan energy through the Petrocaribe scheme. A decade on, many countries still struggle to free themselves from it. Today, as the U.S. increases its role in the region, Nicolás Maduro's weakening, kleptocratic regime grows more erratic. Losing influence, Maduro turns to threats against Guyana's territorial integrity. This will not be tolerated. The Cuban regime, meanwhile, has spent decades perfecting its forced labor for foreign exchange scheme by coercing and then exporting medical professionals throughout our region under the guise of charity. During my visit, our regional partners in Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago pledged to ensure Cuban medical professionals working in their countries are treated with respect for their human and internationally recognized labor rights. They joined Barbados, which also makes sure doctors working there are not abused and exploited. Suriname, to its profound credit, shares our concerns and has no Cuban medical program. We will continue to work with Caribbean countries to ensure the region's vital healthcare needs are met, without resorting to forced labor. This is a new era in U.S.-Caribbean relations. Our friendships have never been stronger. Our approach is simple and effective: We will work with our regional partners, strengthen critical supply chains, and build energy security. But we will no longer tolerate abuses and affronts against America. Together, we will stop the criminal organizations threatening our safety. And we will push back on foreign powers' intervention in our hemisphere. By working together with our Caribbean friends, we will make our hemisphere safer, stronger, and more prosperous today and for future generations. Marco Rubio is the U.S. secretary of state. Previously, Rubio served as a U.S. senator from Florida from 2011-2025.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Rubio visits Guyana as part of his Caribbean tour to promote energy independence and curb migration
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Thursday in Guyana, the second leg of a three-nation tour of the Caribbean, as the Trump administration ramps up engagement in the Western Hemisphere to promote energy independence and curb illegal migration, drug trafficking and gang violence. Rubio was making a brief stop in Georgetown for talks with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and other officials before traveling to Suriname for an even shorter visit to Paramaribo. Guyana, which has significant offshore oil deposits, could play a key role in the Republican administration's attempts to wean the region from imports of Venezuelan energy, against which President Donald Trump has imposed major sanctions. It also has a troubled relationship with neighboring Venezuela. Earlier this month, it denounced an incursion by an armed Venezuelan naval vessel in disputed waters where ExxonMobil is developing a mammoth oil deposit. Ali said on March 1 that the Venezuelan ship passed close to several huge vessels used to store oil being produced by three oilfields operated by Exxon and partners Hess Corp. and CNOOC of China in the Stabroek Block, which contains an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. 'Further provocation will result in consequences for the Maduro regime,' the State Department said at the time, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has since announced severe sanctions, including 25% tariffs on goods produced in countries that import Venezuelan oil. Rubio is expected to sign a security cooperation agreement with Guyana's foreign minister, according to the State Department, which did not preview specifics of the pact. Guyana is already part of the U.S.-created Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Since ExxonMobil made its major oil discovery in Guyana in 2015, Venezuela has revived a century-old territorial dispute with Guyana and taken steps to annex the remote Essequibo region, which comprises about two-thirds of Guyana's land mass. Maduro's government has called Guyana's development of the oil fields 'illegal.'
The Hill
27-03-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Rubio visits Guyana as part of his Caribbean tour to promote energy independence and curb migration
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Thursday in Guyana, the second leg of a three-nation tour of the Caribbean, as the Trump administration ramps up engagement in the Western Hemisphere to promote energy independence and curb illegal migration, drug trafficking and gang violence. Rubio was making a brief stop in Georgetown for talks with Guyanese President Irfaan Ali and other officials before traveling to Suriname for an even shorter visit to Paramaribo. Guyana, which has significant offshore oil deposits, could play a key role in the Republican administration's attempts to wean the region from imports of Venezuelan energy, against which President Donald Trump has imposed major sanctions. It also has a troubled relationship with neighboring Venezuela. Earlier this month, it denounced an incursion by an armed Venezuelan naval vessel in disputed waters where ExxonMobil is developing a mammoth oil deposit. Ali said on March 1 that the Venezuelan ship passed close to several huge vessels used to store oil being produced by three oilfields operated by Exxon and partners Hess Corp. and CNOOC of China in the Stabroek Block, which contains an estimated 11 billion barrels of oil. 'Further provocation will result in consequences for the Maduro regime,' the State Department said at the time, referring to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The Trump administration has since announced severe sanctions, including 25% tariffs on goods produced in countries that import Venezuelan oil. Rubio is expected to sign a security cooperation agreement with Guyana's foreign minister, according to the State Department, which did not preview specifics of the pact. Guyana is already part of the U.S.-created Caribbean Basin Security Initiative. Since ExxonMobil made its major oil discovery in Guyana in 2015, Venezuela has revived a century-old territorial dispute with Guyana and taken steps to annex the remote Essequibo region, which comprises about two-thirds of Guyana's land mass. Maduro's government has called Guyana's development of the oil fields 'illegal.'
