WASHINGTON, CMC – In a significant move, the Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), Todd D. Robinson, is embarking on a visit to three Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries this week, as reported by the United States Department of State.
It said Robinson will travel to St. Lucia, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago until May 10.
In St. Lucia, the State Department said Robinson will “underscore US efforts to help our Caribbean partners counter firearms trafficking and announce additional INL assistance to equip further and train frontline customs officers to interdict small arms and light weapons at major Caribbean ports of entry.”
The department said Robinson would also meet with local officials to discuss opportunities to strengthen Eastern Caribbean regional security cooperation through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, including at the US-supported St. Lucia Regional Forensic Center of Excellence.
In Barbados, the State Department said Robinson will visit the Regional Security System and discuss US investments into the Regional Police Training Center, “which will serve as the future regional training hub for Caribbean law enforcement partners.”
In Trinidad and Tobago, “the Assistant Secretary will highlight progress made on major deliverables announced by the Vice President (Kamala Harris) last summer, including on the Caribbean Crime Gun Intelligence Unit (CGIU), a landmark unit helping to counter the influx of firearms to the Caribbean region,” the State Department said.
The State Department has emphasized that the event will serve as a platform to underscore the importance of collaboration with regional partners, law enforcement from across the entire Caribbean, and US interagency partners, in addressing security challenges.
The State Department said the Assistant Secretary would also discuss support for future law enforcement capacity building and criminal justice system modernization with the Minister of National Security and other government officials.
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