Marco Rubio promises help for Jamaica’s security

During his visit to Jamaica last week, the United States Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, declared that the United States wants to assist more in fighting crime in Jamaica.

He made this announcement during a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Jamaica, Andrew Holness.
In his enhancement to the commitment, Rubio stated, “What we are talking  about here when we talk about America’s assistance is America helping Jamaica build its capacity, its own ability to confront these challenges and solve these problems, because security is a baseline for everything.”

The Secretary of State gathered information from his meeting with the prime minister, which showed that Jamaica has had a 34% decrease in homicides since the beginning of 2025 compared to the same period last year, along with a 19% decrease in all violent crime. However, crime fears are still high throughout the island, and the US wants to do more, according to Rubio.

Rubio said that the Joint Operation Linked to Telemarketing (JOLT) Fusion Center is a joint US-Jamaica law enforcement initiative that combats cybercrime and lottery scams, and this will be reinforced.

Previously stating that Jamaica is one of Washington’s most reliable Caribbean allies, Rubio noted that the United States will provide synthetic-detection equipment for Jamaica’s forensic labs, “A counter-gang recruitment program that we seek to launch as a result of our visit here today. And I will announce something that I think is very important – software for law enforcement agencies here in Jamaica to combat gangs. Things like night goggles technology, and we look to do more,” he added.

Rubio noted that many of the firearms used in crimes in Jamaica are known to be imported from the United States. “We want to commit to doing more to stopping that flow, and at the same time, we commit to increasing the capacity of helping Jamaica.”

The US Secretary of State further noted that the ties between the people of the United States and Jamaica do not need to be explained. “They are incredibly strong,” he stated.

In his response to Rubio’s comment on the relationship between the United States and Jamaica, Prime Minister Holness said that both nations have long been bound together by a shared dedication to freedom, prosperity, and security. “We reaffirmed our commitment to enhancing cooperation in combating transnational crime, ensuring the collective safety of our citizens and mutually secured borders,” Holness acknowledged.

Prime Minister Holness added that the conversation was constructive and enhanced the two nations’ partnership for opportunities and collaboration.

Holness also acknowledged the significant United States support for Jamaica’s effort to bolster its marine domain awareness and intelligence surveillance capacities to fight organized crime.

“This will exponentially expand our cooperation in fighting lottery scammers, transnational organized crime, trafficking in guns, and building safer communities. We are committed to ensuring our partnership delivers results in driving down criminality and trafficking in this hemisphere,” said Holness.