By Zoila Palma: Today, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Kitts and Nevis.
Rubio said that the most urgent security threat in the region is the threat of transnational criminal organizations.
“Many of you – many of whom have funding and power that rival if not exceed that of many of the nation-states that they threaten. We recognize that it is an interlocked challenge that comes from a broader perspective. Number one, they’re obviously fueled by narcotrafficking and other illicit means. Oftentimes, those drugs and the proceeds from those drugs – those drugs are destined for the United States, but the proceeds from those drugs, the money they’re ultimately making, is being made in the streets of our country. This is a danger in the countries that they transit, and it’s ultimately a danger to the national security of the United States,” Rubio said.
“We’ve also watched with alarm at the level of armament that these groups have. We recognize that many of these groups are buying weaponry from the United States, and that we are committed and continue to work very hard with our law enforcement agencies to shut that down. I hope you have seen, both in the case of Haiti but in other dynamics, that we have not shied away, not just from designating groups for what they are – these are terroristic organizations – but even individuals who are responsible for being supportive of them. We’ve also gone after them, and this is something that we have as a shared dynamic,” Rubio added.
The U.S. Secretary of State noted that the U.S. and the Caribbean has a long history of working together on responding to these challenges.
Rubio also spoke about the recent events in Mexico following the death of leader of the Jalisco Nueva Generacion cartel “El Mencho.”
“I point you only to something not in the Caribbean Basin, but nonetheless indicative of what we’re – the challenges that we’re facing here, and that is the role that these drug cartels have established for themselves in Mexico. I’m not sure if you’ve seen some of the imagery of these groups after their leader was killed, but they’re out there with full military gear, military weaponry, armed transports – very dangerous. And it is something that we need to address collectively and together,” Rubio further said.
Rubio said that the U.S. views its security, prosperity and stability to be intricately tied to the Caribbean.
The post International News: Rubio warns “Transnational criminal organizations” are region’s most urgent security threat appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: Today, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed the 50th Regular Meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government in St. Kitts and Nevis. Rubio said that the most urgent security threat in the region is the threat of transnational criminal organizations. “Many of you – many of whom have funding
The post International News: Rubio warns “Transnational criminal organizations” are region’s most urgent security threat appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
