The Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), headed by Assistant Secretary William R. Brownfield, advises the President, Secretary of State, other bureaus in the Department of State, and other departments and agencies within the U.S. Government on the development of policies and programs to combat international narcotics and crime. INL programs support two of the Department’s strategic goals:
- To reduce the entry of illegal drugs into the United States; and
- To minimize the impact of international crime on the United States and its citizens.
INL in The Bahamas
The International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) Section of U.S. Embassy Nassau administers bilateral assistance programs with the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas (GCOB) under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI). CBSI is a citizen security initiative with the mutually agreed upon goals of: significantly reducing illicit trafficking, increasing public safety and security, and promoting social justice in the Caribbean.
INL also serves as a resource to the Chief of Mission providing guidance on counternarcotics, transnational crime, corrections, and rule of law issues.
Project Areas
Working together through the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI), the United States and the nations of the Caribbean, including The Bahamas, are combating the drug trade and other transnational crimes that threaten regional security.
In the Bahamas, INL implements CBSI activities in the areas of: Law Enforcement Professionalization, Counternarcotics Control (including Drug Demand Reduction), and Rule of Law Reform (including Corrections Reform). All projects are implemented in partnership and cooperation with the relevant parts of the Government of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas and with reference to its National Anti-Drug Strategy. Some activities support nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working with at-risk youth to provide alternative life and job skills training to those who are most likely to choose a life of crime and violence at an early age.
Recent INL-funded activities have included:
The donation of four high-speed marine interceptor vessels (SafeBoats), valued at $1,521700, to the Royal Bahamas Police Force (RBPF) Marine Support Services Unit. The vessels will be strategically stationed throughout The Bahamas—in New Providence, Grand Bahama, Exuma, and Inagua—further bolstering the RBPF’s ability to take part in Operation Bahamas, Turks and Caicos (OPBAT) maritime interdiction operations.
A two-day Judicial Writing Workshop for 50 Supreme and Appeals Court Judges, Registrars, and Magistrates designed to enhance their ability to communicate principled and sound decisions to litigants, lawyers, citizens, and other courts, thereby increasing efficiency in the administration of justice in The Bahamas.
A series of training opportunities for Bahamas Department of Correctional Services (BDOC) Officers at the International Correctional Management Training Center in Canon City, CO covering topics such as correctional institutional management, emergency planning/management, and security threat groups (i.e. gangs) in the corrections environment.
The award of a $25,000 grant to the Bahamas Association for Social Health, the only nongovernmental inpatient drug treatment and rehabilitation program in The Bahamas, to produce anti-drug media campaign, which will include a documentary and public service announcements geared towards at-risk youth.
The donation of two firearms training simulators, valued at approximately $165,000, to the Police Training Colleges in Nassau and Freeport. INL will also provide training in the use and maintenance of the simulators, as well as on-site scenario filming specific to The Bahamas to make training scenarios more realistic.
INCSR
The annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) is an annual report by the Department of State to Congress prepared in accordance with the Foreign Assistance Act and the Foreign Relations Authorization Act that describes the steps taken during the previous year by the governments of nearly 90 countries, including The Bahamas, to reduce illicit narcotics production, trafficking, and use. The 2016 report is available here.