The Government is to sign a Customs Mutual Assistance Agreement that will establish a legal framework for the Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA) and United States (US) Customs and Border Protection Agency to exchange customs-related information.
Prime Minister, Dr. the Most Hon. Andrew Holness, made the disclosure while addressing Thursday’s (February 6) National Security Council Seminar at the AC Hotel by Marriott Kingston.
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“After negotiations with our US counterparts in October last year, Jamaica is now advancing the proposed agreement to the final stage of our internal approval process, which includes Cabinet approval,” Dr. Holness said.
“Intelligence sharing of this sort is no longer optional if we wish to thwart transnational organised crime and secure the region. The evidence is clear. Criminal organisations are outpacing our governments in their ability to share information, adapt to enforcement measures and exploit gaps in our security frameworks,” he added.
Dr. Holness noted that by strengthening inter-agency cooperation, deepening partnerships with international law-enforcement bodies and ensuring security forces are well resourced and highly trained, the Government is positioning Jamaica to, not only respond to crime, but proactively dismantle the networks that threaten peace and stability.
“Within the Caribbean we must, therefore, accelerate the implementation of a comprehensive regional intelligence-sharing mechanism that enables real-time information exchange on the movement of arms, narcotics and criminal actors across borders,” Dr. Holness said.
He further stated that the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre (RIFC) provide a strong foundation for such cooperation.
“But there is room for improvement when it comes to sharing shipping intelligence for commercial freight, which is critical to improving detection of smuggled firearms. On that note, we must also strengthen our maritime and border security cooperation. The movement of illegal arms and narcotics through our waters is a major enabler of violent crimes in the region,” Dr. Holness said.
“However, many of our nations lack the necessary naval and aerial surveillance capacity to effectively police our borders. As I have said before, we recognise that. But we also recognise that we’re not going to build our economy and grow our economy and protect our people without making the sacrifice to acquire these assets on our own account,” he added.
Meanwhile, Dr. Holness said the Government also recognises that there is still work to do in capacity-building, as the security forces must be equipped with the necessary training, technology and legislative support to combat an evolving threat.
He said the digital revolution has transformed the ways criminals operate, utilising encrypted communication, cryptocurrency transactions and sophisticated cyber networks to evade detection.
“As such, we must modernise our law-enforcement capabilities, integrating advanced data analytics, cyber intelligence and artificial intelligence-driven surveillance into our security apparatus. Investing in these areas will improve our ability to proactively disrupt criminal networks. As we and other countries in the region continue to build up our own security architecture, we have to be minded to improve the inter-operability of our security forces,” the Prime Minister stated.
“This means broadening the standardised protocols for intelligence sharing, strengthening joint operations between regional militaries and law-enforcement agencies, and ensuring that officers across different jurisdictions are trained in complementary tactics and procedures,” Dr. Holness underscored.
He maintained, “We have to move towards seamless coordinating mechanisms between our national security forces, our maritime patrol units and cyber divisions to respond rapidly and effectively to evolving threats.”
Customs Mutual Assistance Agreements (CMAA) are legally binding, government-to-government agreements that provide the legal framework for the exchange of information to assist the United States’ international partners in the enforcement against customs offenses. The agreements aid in the prevention, detection, and investigation of crimes associated with goods crossing international borders (e.g., duty evasion, Intellectual Property Rights violations, trafficking).
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement co-negotiate CMAAs with international partners on behalf of the United States through authorization obtained from the U.S. Department of State. The only Caribbean countries currently signed and entered into force with U.S. CMAAs are Trinidad and Tobago and the Dominican Republic. Jamaica is the latest Caribbean nation to sign.
