U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives to satisfy with German International Minister Annalena Baerbock on the 61st Munich Safety Convention on February 15, 2025 in Munich, Germany. Worldwide defence and safety leaders from all over the world are gathering for the Feb. 14-16 convention.
Photograph by Sean Gallup/Getty Pictures
Throughout his go to to Jamaica final week, the USA Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, declared that the USA needs to help extra in combating crime in Jamaica.
He made this announcement throughout a bilateral assembly with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness.
In his enhancement to the dedication, Rubio said, “What we’re speaking about right here once we discuss America’s help is America serving to Jamaica construct its capability, its personal capacity to confront these challenges and clear up these issues, as a result of safety is a baseline for all the pieces.”
The Secretary of State gathered info from his assembly with the prime minister, which confirmed that Jamaica has had a 34% lower in homicides because the starting of 2025 in comparison with the identical interval final yr, together with a 19% lower in all violent crime. Nonetheless, crime fears are nonetheless excessive all through the island, and the US needs to do extra, in keeping with Rubio.
Rubio stated that the Joint Operation Linked to Telemarketing (JOLT) Fusion Middle is a joint US-Jamaica regulation enforcement initiative that combats cybercrime and lottery scams, and this will probably be strengthened.
Beforehand stating that Jamaica is considered one of Washington’s most dependable Caribbean allies, Rubio famous that the USA will present synthetic-detection gear for Jamaica’s forensic labs, “A counter-gang recruitment program that we search to launch because of our go to right here immediately. And I’ll announce one thing that I feel is essential – software program for regulation enforcement companies right here in Jamaica to fight gangs. Issues like night time goggles expertise, and we glance to do extra,” he added.
Rubio famous that most of the firearms utilized in crimes in Jamaica are identified to be imported from the USA. “We wish to decide to doing extra to stopping that circulation, and on the identical time, we decide to growing the capability of serving to Jamaica.”
The US Secretary of State additional famous that the ties between the individuals of the USA and Jamaica don’t have to be defined. “They’re extremely sturdy,” he said.
In his response to Rubio’s touch upon the connection between the USA and Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness stated that each nations have lengthy been certain collectively by a shared dedication to freedom, prosperity, and safety. “We reaffirmed our dedication to enhancing cooperation in combating transnational crime, guaranteeing the collective security of our residents and mutually secured borders,” Holness acknowledged.
Prime Minister Holness added that the dialog was constructive and enhanced the 2 nations’ partnership for alternatives and collaboration.
Holness additionally acknowledged the numerous United States help for Jamaica’s effort to bolster its marine area consciousness and intelligence surveillance capacities to battle organized crime.
“It will exponentially broaden our cooperation in combating lottery scammers, transnational organized crime, trafficking in weapons, and constructing safer communities. We’re dedicated to making sure our partnership delivers ends in driving down criminality and trafficking on this hemisphere,” stated Holness.
