Law enforcement officials from Cuba stated on Thursday that the island is prioritizing its fight against drug trafficking in Caribbean. They also said they continue to share information with the U.S. Coast Guard despite the escalating tensions in the region and the increasing military presence of the United States.

Cuba and the United States agreed in 2017 to cooperate in the battle against drug trafficking. But Colonel Ybey Carballo of Cuba's Border Guard told reporters in Havana that formal engagement between two longtime rival nations has ended under the second U.S. administration of President Donald Trump.

Carballo stated that Cuba still routinely provides U.S. Coast Guard intelligence on the locations, routes, and characteristics of suspected boats of trafficking in drugs near its waters.

Carballo said that Cuba is not the black hole that some people like to portray it to be. He added that the island’s proactive approach has contributed to the security in the region, and "especially that of the United States because boats often head (there).

Carballo stated that Cuba provided the U.S. Coast Guard with more than 1,500 tips on drug traffickers between 1990 and 2025. This, he claimed, was proof of Cuba's commitment to combating the drug trade.

Cuba is located directly on a route that connects major South American drug producers with the top consumer in the United States. The U.S. State Department stated as recently as 2016, "Cuba is not a significant consumer, producer, or transit point for illicit narcotics."

In recent months, the Trump administration launched an offensive against alleged drug-trafficking vessels elsewhere in the Caribbean, Pacific, and Asia. The missile attacks killed dozens of people, while also accusing Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro – a key Cuban ally – of profiting off the trade.

Cuba has condemned these attacks and accused the U.S.

Carballo said that despite the increased U.S. military activities and strikes, Cuban security forces have not seen a significant change in drug trafficking around Cuba. (Reporting and Editing by Bill Berkrot.)

(source: Reuters)