Washington, Feb 25 (.) The Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), launched in 2010, anchors Washington’s security strategy in the Caribbean, channeling US funding, training and technical expertise to 13 island and coastal nations countering illicit trafficking, firearms smuggling and transnational organised crime.
The programme positions the United States as a key security partner in a region increasingly vulnerable to criminal networks that exploit porous borders, maritime routes and limited enforcement capacity.
Participating countries are Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago. Washington says the initiative seeks to strengthen regional security and advance shared U.S. and Caribbean interests.
Under CBSI, the United States works with Caribbean law enforcement to dismantle transnational criminal organisations involved in narcotics and firearms trafficking, including networks linked to South American and Mexican groups.
The programme provides training and technical assistance through agencies such as the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations.
CBSI supports vetted units across the region that conduct complex investigations in coordination with U.S. authorities. It also backs the CARICOM Crime Gun Intelligence Unit in Trinidad and Tobago, which focuses on firearms trafficking and gun-related crime.
The initiative further assists Caribbean states in investigating and prosecuting money laundering and financial crimes, including efforts to seize and reinvest criminal assets.
The United States collaborates with the Regional Security System (RSS) to counter illicit maritime trafficking in the Eastern Caribbean, including through two US-donated C-26 maritime patrol aircraft.
The RSS includes eight member states: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.
The CBSI Technical Assistance Field Team, comprising U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army personnel, provides maintenance and operational support to selected Caribbean coast guards and maritime units.
In May 2025, Trinidad and Tobago hosted the 40th Exercise Tradewinds, a multinational training exercise convened by the United States Southern Command. More than 1,000 participants from 31 countries took part in training focused on maritime interdiction, ground security and humanitarian assistance.
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