U.S. says it will expand collaboration with Barbados to counter transnational crime

Timeline

1. Scheduled follow-up · Dec 31, 2026
2. Completion due · Dec 31, 2026
3. Update · Feb 13, 2026, 12:41 PMin_progress
   Claim restatement: The United States intends to expand collaboration with Barbados and deepen cooperation to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking. Evidence of progress: The State Department issued a February 12, 2026 press statement confirming the U.S. will expand collaboration with Barbados and strengthen regional security to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking, indicating a formal diplomatic commitment and planned policy direction. Separately, in 2025 U.S. officials publicly discussed ongoing security cooperation with Barbados under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), including efforts to counter illicit trafficking and transnational crime, and a March 2025 meeting between Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley underscored mutual interest in countering transnational threats. Status of completion: There is no published completion date or milestone indicating finalization of the promised expansion. CBSI remains an ongoing framework with multi-year funding and partner activities in the region, but a concrete, completed bilateral agreement with Barbados specifically framed as “expanded collaboration” is not documented as finished as of the current date. The available records suggest ongoing collaboration and a commitment to deepen cooperation, rather than a completed, discrete milestone. Dates and milestones: February 12, 2026 – State Department press statement announcing intent to expand collaboration; March 26–27, 2025 – Secretary Rubio's meetings with Barbados leadership reinforcing bilateral security cooperation under CBSI. CBSI itself has been active since 2010 with ongoing funding and partner projects across 13 Caribbean states, including Barbados, through 2024 and beyond. Source reliability note: Primary source is the U.S. Department of State press release (official government communication), supported by State Department and CBSI program pages detailing ongoing Caribbean security cooperation. Additional corroboration appears in U.S. embassy updates and reputable reporting on U.S.–Barbados security discussions. These sources are appropriate for assessing official policy intent and formal cooperation structures, though they do not indicate a fixed completion date.
   • https://www.state.gov/releases/preview/666915/
   • https://2021-2025.state.gov/bureau-of-western-hemisphere-affairs/caribbean-basin-security-initiative
   • https://bb.usembassy.gov/security/
4. Update · Feb 13, 2026, 10:13 AMin_progress
   The claim states that the United States intends to expand collaboration with Barbados and deepen cooperation to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking. Public U.S. materials describe Barbados as a long-standing partner under regional security and counternarcotics programs, but do not show a distinctly announced expansion with concrete milestones or a completion date as of February 2026. Evidence of ongoing cooperation exists, including longstanding security cooperation under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative and formal frameworks such as mutual legal assistance treaties, extradition arrangements, and maritime law enforcement agreements cited in State Department materials from 2022 onward. These materials indicate continuity of engagement rather than a new, expanded program with defined end-state criteria. The Trafficking in Persons Reports and related State Department pages show continued collaboration on narcotics, security, and anti-crime efforts, but again do not publish a publicly announced expansion or a completion timeline. Barbados remains described as a security partner with ongoing U.S. support rather than a completed expanded framework. Because there is no publicly documented completion milestone or target date for the promised expansion, the status appears to be ongoing cooperation with potential future expansion rather than a completed or clearly delineated expansion as of 2026-02-12. The sources used are official U.S. government materials, which are authoritative for this assessment, but they do not reveal a formal end-state for the expansion. Overall, the claim is best characterized as in_progress: progress is evidenced by sustained cooperation and existing legal-security frameworks, but a finalized, expanded program with explicit milestones has not been publicly published.
   • https://2021-2025.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-barbados/
   • https://www.state.gov/reports/2025-trafficking-in-persons-report/barbados/
5. Update · Feb 13, 2026, 07:17 AMin_progress
   Claim restated: The United States intends to expand collaboration with Barbados and deepen cooperation to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking. The State Department press release confirms this objective, stating that, under Prime Minister Mia Mottley’s leadership, the U.S. will expand collaboration with Barbados to strengthen regional security and deepen cooperation to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking. The announcement frames the move as a bilateral effort aimed at greater stability, security, and prosperity for both countries. Evidence of progress: The relevant public document is a February 12, 2026 press release from the U.S. Department of State. It notes the intention to expand collaboration and deepen security cooperation, but it does not enumerate concrete, verifiable milestones, specific programs, or joint operational timelines. There are no reported on-the-record follow-up events, agreements, or joint exercises tied to this promise within the release itself. Current status: As of the source date, there is a declared intent to expand bilateral engagement, with a focus on countering illicit trafficking and transnational crime. However, there is no completion date, no detailed implementation plan, and no publicly disclosed milestones to indicate whether progress has begun or what form it has taken beyond the stated objective. Reliability and context: The source is an official U.S. government statement, which strengthens reliability for the claim of intent. Cross-checking with independent reporting on Barbados-U.S. security cooperation (e.g., regional security initiatives and past agreements) shows ongoing collaboration in narcotics and crime enforcement, but none of these reports provide a concrete update on this specific expansion to counter transnational crime as of early 2026. Bottom line: The claim is currently best described as in_progress. The administration publicly intends to broaden bilateral cooperation with Barbados on countering transnational crime and illicit trafficking, but public evidence of concrete commitments, milestones, or completion remains unavailable.
   • https://www.state.gov/releases/preview/666915/
   • https://www.state.gov/secretary-rubios-meeting-with-prime-minister-mia-mottley-of-barbados/
6. Update · Feb 13, 2026, 05:03 AMin_progress
   Restated claim: The United States intends to expand collaboration with Barbados and deepen cooperation to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking. Progress evidence: The 2026 State Department statement explicitly commits to expanding collaboration with the Government of Barbados and deepening regional security cooperation to counter transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking (State Dept, 2026-02-12). Prior reporting shows high-level engagement with Barbados officials on regional security issues, including discussions around countering illicit narcotics and firearms trafficking and prosecuting transnational crime (State Dept, 2025-03-26). U.S. embassy materials in the Caribbean also emphasize efforts to bolster criminal justice capacities and regional security cooperation (Embassy Barbados/Security pages). Current status: There is clear intent and ongoing dialogue, but no public completion date or milestone indicating finalization. The completion condition—bilateral expansion and deeper operational cooperation specifically countering transnational criminal organizations and illicit trafficking—remains described as an objective rather than a completed program, with progress framed as ongoing enhancement of cooperation. Key dates and milestones: February 12, 2026 — State Department press statement announcing the expansion plan; March 26, 2025 — Secretary Rubio’s meeting with Barbados’ Prime Minister, reinforcing commitment to regional security collaboration (State Dept). Tradewinds exercises and Caribbean-focused security activities in the region have historically supported counter-crime aims, but do not by themselves mark completion of the stated expansion. Source reliability note: The principal sources are official U.S. government channels (State Department press releases and embassy pages), which provide direct statements of policy intent and records of high-level meetings. Coverage from independent outlets is limited and less authoritative on specific policy commitments; the core claim rests on primary government documents, which enhances reliability for the stated intent.
   • https://www.state.gov/releases/preview/666915/
   • https://www.state.gov/secretary-rubios-meeting-with-prime-minister-mia-mottley-of-barbados/
   • https://bb.usembassy.gov/security/
7. Original article · Feb 12, 2026
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