Top law-enforcement officials said Thursday the island remains committed to tackling drug trafficking despite rising tensions and expanding US military activity….reports Asian Lite News
Cuba has pushed back against US accusations of being a hub for narcotics trafficking, highlighting decades of cooperation with American authorities and ongoing intelligence-sharing in the Caribbean. Top law enforcement officials told reporters on Thursday that the island remains committed to combating drug trafficking despite rising tensions and a growing US military presence in the region.
Colonel Ybey Carballo, chief of Cuba’s Border Guard, said Havana continues to provide the US Coast Guard with detailed intelligence, including the locations, routes, and characteristics of vessels suspected of smuggling drugs toward the United States. “Cuba is not a black hole like some like to say,” Carballo insisted, emphasising that the island’s proactive monitoring has contributed to regional security, particularly for the US, since traffickers often target American markets.
Between 1990 and November 30, 2025, Cuba reported providing over 1,500 tips and pieces of intelligence on drug traffickers to the US Coast Guard, illustrating the nation’s long-standing efforts to curb illicit activity along key maritime routes. The island lies along one of the primary corridors between South American drug producers and US consumers, yet the US State Department has repeatedly stated that Cuba is neither a major producer nor a significant transit point for narcotics.
Carballo acknowledged that formal cooperation with the United States ended under President Donald Trump’s second term but said operational intelligence-sharing continues. He also downplayed concerns that the recent surge in US military activity across the Caribbean, including strikes targeting suspected trafficking operations in Venezuela, has significantly affected drug movements near Cuban waters.
Cuba has criticised US strikes on Venezuelan vessels, accusing Washington of using counter-narcotics efforts to exert political pressure and destabilise the Maduro government. Despite this, Cuban authorities report no major uptick in trafficking through their waters and emphasise their commitment to both national and regional security.
