Miami: The Seventh Coast Guard and the US Department of State welcomed the foreign and federal partners to Miami for the opening Northern Caribbean Security Summit (NOCSS). The Caribbean representatives, including leaders, military and law enforcement officials from The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands, the United Kingdom and the United States held discussions over the mutual security concerns and commitments for their collaborative address.
The Northern Caribbean Security Summit (NOCSS) looks at the enhancement of previously existing partnerships to counter the transnational organizations that indulge in activities like trafficking migrants, drugs, illegal weapons and money, which pose a considerable threat to regional and national security.
The participants of the NOCSS agreed upon the requirement of enhanced strategic coordination and training to achieve improved interoperability and sharing of intelligence information between the nations.
The participants of the summit include:
. Charge d’Affaires, U.S. Embassy Nassau- Ms. Usha E. Pitts,
• Minister of National Security, The Bahamas- Wayne Munroe,
• The Labour and Immigration Minister, Keith Bell
• The Governor, Turks and Caicos Islands, Nigel Dakin
• Rear Adm. Brendan C. McPherson, commander, Coast Guard District Seven and director, Homeland Security Task Force – Southeast
• The executive director, of Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations Southeast Region and deputy director Joint Task Force – East, John Priddy
• Renita D. Foster, special agent in charge, Drug Enforcement Administration Caribbean Division
The NOCSS discussions touched the future of Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT). Notably, OPBAT is founded over the partnership between the Coast Guard, Drug enforcement administration, US Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine operations and the law enforcement agencies of Bahamas that takes on against the smuggling of drugs.
The Royal Bahamas Defence and Police Force, International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Department of Justice, and the Council on Transnational Organized Crime were also present at the summit.
