FNM Leader, AG Clash Over Undercover DEA Operation

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – For Opposition Leader, Michael Pintard, it comes down to one question, what should the government be more concerned about – how undercover U.S. agents operated here, or the alleged criminal activity they were investigating?

Well, Pintard says right now, he believes the government’s attention is in the wrong place.

Michael Pintard – Leader, Free National Movement

“They are more concerned about how criminals are being arrested in the Bahamian jurisdiction than they are concerned about the crimes that they are committing that’s destroying lives both in The Bahamas and in our neighboring countries.”

So how did we get here?

U.S. court documents detail an undercover DEA investigation into alleged drug trafficking through The Bahamas.

One of the biggest allegations to come out of those documents is that undercover agents, posing as drug cartel members, allegedly met an unnamed Bahamian politician inside Parliament in 2024.

The Davis Administration has since raised concerns with U.S. officials about how those agents operated here.

However, Pintard says if the government believes U.S. agents broke the rules, it needs to show why.

Michael Pintard – Leader, Free National Movement

“ The government has not briefed the opposition or provided any evidence on whether any foreign power is operating illegally in our jurisdiction. We are concerned about stopping criminals who are moving guns and drugs within and through The Bahamas.”

Pintard also questioned what this public disagreement could mean for the long-standing law enforcement partnership between the two countries.

According to the Tribune newspaper, U.S. Ambassador Herschel Walker has pushed back against the government’s complaint, while Munroe insists the dispute has not damaged that working relationship.

Meanwhile, when Our News put Pintard’s position directly to Attorney General, Wayne Munroe, he pushed back, questioning why the same rules that would apply to Bahamian officers operating abroad should not apply to U.S. agents operating here.

Wayne Munroe K.C. – Attorney General

“ That doesn’t make any sense from our perspective, why is he saying it makes it makes sense for the Americans? Is he saying that our sovereignty is somehow of a lower value or quality? We can’t even do that in Turks and Caicos. Is he saying that Turks and Caicos sovereignty is of better quality than ours?”