Secretary of State Marco Rubio of the United States has made significant preparations to enhance Jamaica’s security situation.
According to Rubio, Jamaica has had a 34% decrease in homicides since the beginning of this year compared to the same period last year, along with a 19% decrease in all violent crimes.
- Advertisement -
However, Rubio announced that the United States wants to do more to help fight crime after bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Dr. Andrew Holness in Kingston on March 26, 2025. This comes as crime fears are still high throughout the island.
Many of the firearms used in crimes in Jamaica are known to be imported from the United States, Rubio said.
“We want to commit to doing more to stopping that flow at the same time as we commit to increasing the capacity [of Jamaica].”
Rubio stated, “What we are talking about here when we talk about American assistance is America helping Jamaica build its own capacity, its own ability to confront these challenges and solve these problems, because security is a baseline for everything.”
Additionally, the secretary of state said that the Joint Operations Linked to Telemarketing (JOLT) Fusion Center, a joint US-Jamaican law enforcement initiative that combats cybercrime and lottery scams, will be reinforced.
“We can announce synthetic detection equipment for Jamaica’s forensic labs, a counter-gang recruitment program that we seek to launch as a result of our visit here today. And I will announce something that I think is very important — software for law enforcement agencies] here in Jamaica to combat gangs. Things like night vision goggles technology, and we look to do more,” Rubio made this announcement after previously stating that the United States is dedicated to deepening its relationship with Jamaica, one of Washington’s most reliable Caribbean allies.
“The ties between the people of the United States and Jamaica don’t need to be explained — they’re incredibly strong,” noted Rubio.
“Your visit today reaffirms that bond,” said Holness, who welcomed Rubio to Jamaica, adding that the two nations have long been bound together by a shared dedication to freedom, prosperity, and security.
“We reaffirmed our commitment to enhancing cooperation in combating transnational crime, ensuring the collective safety of our citizens and mutually secured borders,” Holness said of the contentious security issue, adding that the conversation with Rubio was fruitful, constructive, and centered on enhancing the two nations’ partnership while expanding opportunities for collaboration.
“We discussed a global war on gangs, and there is already significant policy alignment with both countries in this regard.”
The PM noted, “The United States has been instrumental in supporting Jamaica’s efforts to bolster its marine domain awareness and intelligence surveillance capacities, which are crucial in our fight against organized criminal networks.”
Holness added that increasing and repurposing development assistance toward the joint security objectives of both nations was a topic of discussion.
Holness remarked, “This will exponentially expand our cooperation in fighting lottery scammers, transnational organized crime, trafficking in guns, and building safer communities. We are committed to ensuring our partnership delivers results in driving down criminality and trafficking in this hemisphere.”
