Trinidad and Tobago and the United States are deepening security cooperation aimed at disrupting transnational criminal networks involved in drug trafficking, illegal firearms, human trafficking, and other forms of organised crime.
The strengthened partnership comes as both countries expand coordination through regional security initiatives, including the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition and the Shield of the Americas. U.S. officials have described Trinidad and Tobago as an important regional partner in efforts to counter criminal networks and strengthen maritime security.
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A major development came in September, when Trinidad and Tobago joined other Shield of the Americas members in designating 24 criminal gangs and organisations as terrorist organisations. The move was announced during a meeting hosted by the United States on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York and included groups such as MS-13, Tren de Aragua, the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf Cartel.
The U.S. Embassy subsequently said Trinidad and Tobago had joined the United States in designating 25 criminal organisations as foreign terrorist organisations, describing the country as the first Shield of the Americas member to participate in the designations. The differing figures in the September announcements were not immediately explained.
The cooperation also includes joint training, capacity-building, maritime interdiction coordination and disaster-response preparedness. In August, the U.S. Embassy said the newly activated Joint Task Force Western Hemisphere, together with Trinidad and Tobago’s participation in the Americas Counter Cartel Coalition, reflected a shared commitment to confronting transnational criminal networks and protecting regional maritime routes.
Trinidad and Tobago’s government has increasingly emphasized international cooperation as part of its response to violent crime and the trafficking of firearms and narcotics. Foreign Affairs Minister Sean Sobers said in May that discussions with senior U.S. officials focused on strengthening defence and security cooperation and that Washington viewed Trinidad and Tobago as a key partner in addressing transnational crime in the region.
The two countries’ expanding security relationship reflects a broader effort to target criminal networks across borders rather than treating organised crime solely as a domestic policing issue. U.S. officials have also stressed the importance of intelligence sharing, law-enforcement cooperation and coordinated operations in disrupting the networks behind illicit trafficking.
For Trinidad and Tobago, the partnership comes as the government seeks to strengthen its capacity to confront gangs, illegal weapons and narcotics while working with regional and international partners. The government has said its security strategy is intended to protect the country from criminal networks whose activities increasingly extend beyond national borders.
