US and Jamaica Sign Military Agreement to Fight Caribbean Drug Trafficking

August 21, 2026
By Mintesinot Nigussie

The United States and Jamaica have signed a Status of Forces Agreement aimed at strengthening military and security cooperation between the two countries, including joint efforts to combat organised crime and drug trafficking in the Caribbean.

The agreement establishes the legal and operational framework governing the temporary presence of US military personnel in Jamaica for mutually agreed activities, including training exercises and joint operations.

Jamaica becomes the latest of more than 120 countries that have similar agreements with the United States.

The agreement builds on decades of security cooperation between the US Armed Forces and the Jamaica Defence Force, which have worked together on military training, professional exchanges, humanitarian operations and disaster response.

The signing follows a meeting on August 12 between US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Jamaican Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Horace Chang on the sidelines of the Americas Counter Cartels Coalition Forum in Panama.

The two governments said the agreement would provide a more predictable framework for cooperation in regional security, defence and disaster response.

The agreement also signals a deeper commitment by Washington and Kingston to joint efforts against criminal organisations and what the two governments described as narco-terrorists involved in trafficking weapons, drugs and people.

The US and Jamaica said the new framework would expand existing cooperation while supporting their shared security interests and regional stability.

Source: FSX Business News