National

National Security Minister Responds to U.S. On Drug and Human Trafficking

NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The issue of human smuggling and drug trafficking has taken center stage once again as United States Ambassador-designate to The Bahamas, Herschel Walker, prepares to take up his post.

Published

3 months ago

October 14, 2025

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With a series of major drug busts already this year, coupled with a recent U.S. indictment still fresh on the minds of Bahamians, many are asking what the government is doing to curb these illegal activities.

Wayne Munroe K.C. – Minister, National Security
“In the Knox conference, which we’ve had to delay, cancel, which is a conference between the U.S., Turks and Caicos, and The Bahamas on OBAT, the drug interdiction trilateral arrangement that we had to delay because of the U.S. government shutdown. Our point we make to Turks and Caicos and The Bahamas to the U.S. is ONAT is drug related, but you cannot be tunnel vision, because if you just talk about targeting drugs, you have to be mindful that drugs come with migrants.”

Despite these efforts, drugs and human trafficking continue to slip through the cracks.

The Bahamas, however, maintains its Tier 1 ranking in the 2025 U.S. Trafficking in Persons Report, one of the few countries globally recognized for meeting the highest standards in eliminating human trafficking.

When it comes to drugs, police statistics up to July show authorities seized nearly 2,700 pounds of marijuana and over 2,100 pounds of cocaine, with 873 arrests made, 680 of them for possession offenses. Just last week, there were two major drug busts, one in Grand Bahama and another in Cat Island.

Wayne Munroe K.C. – Minister, National Security
“When the government in Colombia changed, they changed their policy. They stopped destroying the coca fields, which means more cocaine is being produced and so there’s an uptick. Since this administration has come to power, you see significant cocaine attempts to fly into The Bahamas at the time to move it by sea.”

“You’re seeing these large drug interdictions because of the diligent work of the men and women of the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Defence Force, together with our partners in CARICOM IMPACS, the Cuban border patrol, and the U.S. Coast Guard.”