UNITED STATES | Caribbean Nations Unite to Combat Regional Security Threats

WASHINGTON DC, May 18, 2025 - By Derrick Scott - In a region where a wave of collaborative security expertise is emerging. Ten Jamaicans were among 35 Caribbean law enforcement professionals who recently graduated from the prestigious Caribbean Security and Defense Course offered by the William J. Perry Center for Hemispheric Defense Studies in Washington DC, signaling a unified approach to tackling the region's most pressing security challenges.

"As a Caricom State we have too many silos," remarked Acting Senior Superintendent Victor Barrett of Jamaica's Counter-Terrorism and Organized Crime Investigation Branch, who spoke on behalf of his country's contingent. "But on this course for the past two weeks, we saw where as a Caribbean community we move closer together as a body, and as a body unity is strength."

The four-week program—split between distance learning and in-residence training—serves as the Perry Center's cornerstone educational offering for English-speaking Caribbean nations. It delivers a comprehensive curriculum spanning defense governance, transnational threats, human rights, disaster response, and cybersecurity challenges that plague the region's interconnected shores.

Beyond the classroom walls, the course forges crucial personal connections that may prove more valuable than the formal education itself. "Definitely, and the important thing is that we form alliances, so we have a point of contact in different regions," Barrett explained. 

"The Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security in Belize collaboration with the Regional Security System and the Transnational Organised Crime Task Force. So if we have an issue in neighbouring states, we know who to call." These professional networks, Barrett emphasized, could prove invaluable during cross-border operations.

The Jamaican delegation, comprising members from the military, the Major Organized Crime Anti-Corruption Agency (MOCA), and the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), joined counterparts from nine other nations including Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.

For a region grappling with sophisticated criminal enterprises that exploit geographical fragmentation, the timing couldn't be more critical. Participants received specialized training in combating transnational crime, cybercrime, illicit firearms trafficking, human trafficking, and counterfeiting—all pressing concerns in Caribbean nations where criminal organizations increasingly operate across borders.

"In this modern world, where crime has many faces, we are well prepared," Barrett insisted. "I do not think, but I know, we all possess the capacity to do our country good."

The program's methodology blends theoretical frameworks with practical applications, requiring participants to develop individualized action plans targeting specific security challenges in their home organizations. This approach bridges the gap between global security trends, U.S. policy considerations, and Caribbean regional best practices.

Four Jamaicans received special recognition for outstanding presentations, though their identities remained unspecified in course documentation. Their achievements reflect the Perry Center's mission to function as "a trusted agent uniquely positioned to convene the leading network of security and defense practitioners in the Americas."

Whether this newly minted cadre of security professionals can translate their Washington education into tangible security improvements remains to be seen. The Caribbean continues to face daunting challenges from organized crime networks that exploit jurisdictional boundaries and limited resources.

Barrett, however, struck an optimistic tone regarding implementation of these newly acquired strategies: "What we learn here today, I can tell you, we are going to focus on these criminals. The Commissioner has this new strategy, a focus deterrent strategy, and what we learn here today will bolster our efforts to continue to fight."

As Caribbean nations confront evolving security threats with limited resources, this cross-border professional development initiative represents a critical acknowledgment that in matters of regional security, isolation is no longer an option. The region's criminal elements have already mastered collaboration across borders—now its defenders are learning to do the same.

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