Jamaica And US Forge New Partnership To Tackle Narco-terrorism Across Caribbean | RJR News

By Kimone Witter  

Jamaica is strengthening its security partnership with the United States as both countries move to tackle narco-terrorism and drug trafficking across the Caribbean.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth says the new military partnership with Jamaica is expected to significantly strengthen regional security.

“Additionally, I want to thank Jamaica for working with the Department of War to create a new military partnership to cripple narco-terrorists that transit through the Caribbean. This partnership will forever change the security environment of the Caribbean,” he promised. 

Mr. Hegseth was delivering remarks at the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition Conference in Panama on Wednesday.

He told participating countries that, alongside them, the United States will forge a safe, stable and prosperous hemisphere.

The Defence Secretary stressed that America was not seeking dominance and dependency from its partners.

“We only seek genuine partnership with your governments to achieve security, stability and prosperity. Two centuries ago, the Monroe Doctrine was America’s first stand against foreign meddling and exploitation in our hemisphere. The United States declared to European colonial powers that we will regard any threat against the free nations of this hemisphere as a threat to the United States itself. Well, now under President Trump’s strong, clear and visionary leadership, we follow the Trump corollary to the Monroe Doctrine. We will defend our hemisphere from external threats to national sovereignty, whether from narco terrorism or foreign maligned actors. And we will deny adversaries the ability to position forces or otherwise threaten capabilities in our hemisphere,” he declared.