JAMAICA'S Ambassador Declares Transnational Organised Crime the Caribbean's Greatest Security Threat

Ambassador Anderson highlights Jamaica's historic crime reductions while calling for regional solidarity at Georgetown University

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 6, 2026 – Jamaica's Ambassador to the United States, Major General (Ret'd) Antony Anderson, has issued a stark warning to the Western Hemisphere: transnational organised crime represents the single greatest threat to lasting peace in the Caribbean and Latin America, a scourge that no nation can confront in isolation.

Addressing a packed auditorium at Georgetown University Law Center on Thursday during a public forum themed "Jamaica's Role in Regional Security: US and Jamaica Cooperation," Ambassador Anderson delivered a candid assessment of the criminal networks that continue to destabilise the region while offering Jamaica's dramatic security turnaround as a blueprint for success.

"Transnational organised crime that plays out in violence is the most significant threat to the security of our nation and the region," Ambassador Anderson declared. "It is a business—and to ensure that the business and networks remain, the persons involved carry out their activities through violence or the threat of violence, undermining governance and exploiting our borders in ways no single country can confront alone."

The Ambassador's remarks come as Jamaica celebrates a historic milestone in public safety. Under the security architecture developed during his tenure as Police Commissioner from 2018 to 2024, Jamaica recorded its lowest homicide rate in over three decades in 2025—a 40% reduction bringing the rate to 24 per 100,000 inhabitants.

This achievement follows two consecutive years of decline: 8% in 2023 and 19% in 2024. January 2026 continued this trajectory with a remarkable 55% reduction—the lowest monthly figure recorded since 2001.

"What you're seeing is the end result of political focus, strategies, persistent and consistent investments in developing a security architecture that suits us," Ambassador Anderson explained. "We decided as a country to take on our problem ourselves. Nobody is coming from anywhere to fix our problem. We have to own it and fix it."

The transformation of the Jamaica Constabulary Force into an ISO 9001-certified, technology-driven organisation with expanded intelligence capabilities stands as testament to this commitment. Ambassador Anderson emphasised the critical role of homegrown leadership and institutional empowerment in achieving these results.

While highlighting Jamaica's internal reforms, Ambassador Anderson acknowledged the enduring importance of international partnerships, particularly with the United States—describing the bilateral security cooperation as among the most extensive of any Caribbean nation.

He welcomed bipartisan American attention to the flow of illegal firearms into the Caribbean, noting Jamaica's corresponding legislative strengthening of its Firearms Act.

Looking beyond crime reduction toward sustainable peace, Ambassador Anderson articulated an aspirational vision for Jamaica and the wider region. "Peaceful societies do not mean that people in the society are docile.

It means that competition does not have to become conflict," he said. "We must channel our energy into productivity, development and taking a collective movement as a country as we seek our economic and political sovereignty."

The Ambassador extended an open invitation to the international community to study Jamaica's security model, noting the country's longstanding commitment to regional capacity-building through its Training Centres of Excellence. "What happens to our neighbours impacts us too," he affirmed.

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