The Trump administration has named five Caribbean nations — The Bahamas, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Jamaica — among a group of 23 countries identified as major drug transit or major illicit drug producing states for Fiscal Year 2026.
The designation, submitted to Congress on September 15, came in a presidential determination outlining the countries that play a significant role in global narcotics trafficking. Other nations on the list include Mexico, Colombia, Panama, Costa Rica, and Venezuela, as well as countries in Asia and Africa.
The White House stressed that a country’s inclusion is “not necessarily a reflection of its government’s counterdrug efforts or level of cooperation with the United States.” Instead, the designation is based on “geographic, commercial, and economic factors that allow drugs or precursor chemicals to be transited or produced, even if a government has engaged in robust and diligent narcotics control and law enforcement measures.”
While Caribbean nations were included on the list, President Donald Trump singled out Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela as having “failed demonstrably” over the past year to meet their international counterdrug obligations. U.S. assistance to Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela will continue under a national interest waiver.
The statement framed drug trafficking as a national security and public health emergency for the United States, citing that in 2024, the country averaged more than 200 overdose deaths daily, with opioids remaining the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44.
The statement said the Trump administration has deployed “every aspect of American power and unprecedented resources” to combat the flow of fentanyl and other illicit substances, crediting tougher border measures and expanded cooperation with Mexico for what they described as the first significant decline in overdose deaths in more than a decade.
The determination allows the U.S. government to direct resources and diplomatic pressure toward countries on the list.
“While the United States will devote all necessary resources to punish criminals enabling the production, transportation, and smuggling of illicit drugs across our borders, I will also call on countries where these drugs originate and transit to fulfill their obligations and shut off these supplies – or face serious consequences,” the statement said.
