Three Caribbean countries join US-led action against Haiti gangs
Key Points(5)
- Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic have joined the United States and 11 other Western Hemisphere countries in announcing coordinated measures against 24 organizations they identify as narco-terrorist groups.
- The three Caribbean countries signed a joint declaration on Tuesday alongside the United States and governments from Latin America at a meeting of the Shield of the Americas on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
- The declaration outlines cooperation across three areas: economic security, regional security and multilateral coordination.
- Participating countries said they intend to strengthen intelligence sharing, expand access to security technologies and training, and coordinate positions in regional and international forums.
- The first joint action focuses on what the countries describe as the threat posed by transnational narco-terrorist organizations.
Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic have joined the United States and 11 other Western Hemisphere countries in announcing coordinated measures against 24 organizations they identify as narco-terrorist groups.
The three Caribbean countries signed a joint declaration on Tuesday alongside the United States and governments from Latin America at a meeting of the Shield of the Americas on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The declaration outlines cooperation across three areas: economic security, regional security and multilateral coordination. Participating countries said they intend to strengthen intelligence sharing, expand access to security technologies and training, and coordinate positions in regional and international forums.
The first joint action focuses on what the countries describe as the threat posed by transnational narco-terrorist organizations.
Under the declaration, participating governments intend to pursue measures including asset freezes, immigration and visa restrictions for members, associates and supporters of the listed organizations, as well as criminal penalties for people who knowingly provide material support to them.
The measures are to be implemented in accordance with each country's domestic and international legal obligations.
Caribbean countries among Shield participants
Guyana has been a member of the Shield of the Americas since its formation in March. President Irfaan Ali attended the group's inaugural summit in Florida and joined U.S. President Donald Trump and other leaders at Tuesday's meeting in New York.
Ali was joined at the latest meeting by Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and Guyana's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett. Guyana's government said the country views the partnership as a way to strengthen regional security cooperation and intelligence sharing.
Trinidad and Tobago has also been part of the initiative since the March summit. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar was one of the Caribbean leaders who attended that meeting.
The Dominican Republic is the third Caribbean country participating in the latest declaration.
The other signatories are Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, Paraguay and Peru.
24 groups targeted
The declaration identifies 24 organizations across the Americas, including several with operations or links to the Caribbean.
They include Haiti's Gran Grif and Viv Ansanm, Venezuela's Cartel de Los Soles, Colombia's Clan del Golfo and ELN, as well as Los Lobos, Los Choneros, Chone Killers and Los Tiguerones in Ecuador.
The list also includes major criminal organizations such as Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Tren de Aragua, Cartel de Sinaloa, Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (CJNG), Cartel del Golfo, Primeiro Comando da Capital and Comando Vermelho.
FARC dissident groups and Peru's Shining Path (Sendero Luminoso) are also included.
The participating governments said they intend to coordinate sanctions and other measures against the organizations, although the specific implementation will depend on each country's legal framework.
Caribbean security cooperation
The declaration also calls for the participating countries to co-sign a request to the Organization of American States Permanent Council for a meeting to consider establishing an Organ of Consultation under the Inter-American Treaty on Reciprocal Assistance, commonly known as the Rio Treaty.
The proposed meeting would consider collective measures against narco-terrorist organizations.
Countries participating in the Shield of the Americas that are not parties to the Rio Treaty said they support the initiative and intend to contribute where permitted by their domestic and international legal obligations.
For Guyana, the agreement adds to an existing push for greater regional security cooperation. President Ali has previously said Guyana's participation would support greater intelligence sharing, joint security exercises and cooperation against transnational crime.
The Shield of the Americas was established in March 2026 at a summit convened by Trump in Doral, Florida, bringing together governments from Latin America and the Caribbean to discuss security and transnational crime.
