U.S. and Bahamian Officials Work Together to Increase Efforts

From left: Asst. Commissioner Anthony Ferguson, RBPF; U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman; Major General Fran Mahon, USNORTHCOM;Minister of State for National Security, The Hon. Keith Bell; Capt. Tellis Bethel, Dep. Commander, RBDF; Dr. Luis Bitencourt

On Friday, August 17, U.S. Chargé d’Affaires John Dinkelman, Major General Fran Mahon, the Director of Strategy, Policy & Plans, United States Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) and the Minister of State for National Security, The Hon. Keith Bell participated in the closing session of the “Countering Transnational Organized Crime Conference” at the British Colonial Hilton Hotel. 

 The five-day conference brought together 40 Bahamian government officials and representatives from USNORTHCOM to examine how transnational organized crime poses defense and security threats to the Caribbean, in particular The Bahamas, through illicit activities including drug trafficking, money laundering, arms trafficking, human smuggling and cyber crime.