Americas Counter-Cartel Conference: “Addressing narco-terrorism, trafficking requires strong cooperation among nations” – PM Phillips

…as Guyana signs joint security declaration to tackle narco threats

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, has underscored the importance of strong regional cooperation in combatting narco-trafficking and narco-terrorism in the western hemisphere.

The prime minister led a Guyanese delegation to join regional partners at the inaugural Americas Counter Cartel Conference at the United States Southern Command headquarters in Doral, Florida, on Thursday.
Hosted by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, the conference brings together defence and security leaders from across the Caribbean, Central America, and South America to coordinate efforts against drug cartels that threaten the hemisphere.
In his remarks, PM Phillips pointed out that transnational activities of cartels, gangs, and other criminal actors threaten regional peace and security. These networks, he added, also undermine the rule of law, weaken institutions, and threaten democracy and the safety and economic wellbeing of our citizens.
“For countries like Guyana, located along important maritime and regional transit corridors, addressing narco-trafficking and narco-terrorism requires strong cooperation among our nations. These threats demand coordinated intelligence sharing, enhanced operational cooperation, and strengthened defense capabilities across the hemisphere,” the Guyanese prime minister stated.
According to Phillips, as the region continues to grow economically and strategically, it is essential that countries work together to protect critical infrastructure, strengthen national institutions, enhance resilience to evolving security threats, while respecting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of every state.
He contended that, “Through deeper cooperation and partnership, we can ensure that our hemisphere remains safe, secure, and a Zone of Peace.”
Turning his attention to bilateral relations, the Prime Minister noted that Guyana and the US share a strong and expanding strategic partnership built on mutual trust, and robust defence and security cooperation.
“Through capacity building, joint exercises, and policy and technical engagements, our countries have worked closely together to combat narco-trafficking and other forms of transnational crime,” he stated.
Against this backdrop, PM Phillips declared that Guyana welcomes the adoption of the Joint Security Declaration of the Conference, adding that the country looks forward to joining the coalition to combat narco-terrorism.
The Government of Guyana remains committed to being a reliable and active partner in advancing the security and stability of the Western Hemisphere,” he stated.
Guyana was among 17 countries from throughout the Western Hemisphere that signed a joint security declaration with the US on Thursday, reaffirming their commitment to peace, sovereignty and stability in the region.

Deterrence of narco-terrorists
Signing on behalf of the US was Secretary Hegseth, who assured regional leaders that the conference is about the entire Americas.
“We, like you, want borders and sovereign territories that are secure; we want unfettered access to key terrain and trade so that our nations can industrialize; and we want to prevent external powers from threatening our peace and independence in our shared neighborhood,” Hegseth told the group.
According to the US Secretary of War, the Western Hemisphere contains one-eighth of the world’s population but one-third of its violent crime. In fact, he noted that the human smuggling industry grew by as much as 2,000 per cent over a five-year span, soaring from being a $500 million enterprise in 2018 to one that brought in $13 billion in 2022.
However, Hegseth said that under the Donald Trump Administration, all of these trends are reversing including the flow of fentanyl into the US, which is now down by 56 per cent. He further highlighted the successful deterrence of narco-terrorists in the Caribbean region, which has been ongoing since September 2025.
“America is prepared to take on these threats and go on the offense alone, if necessary. However, it is our preference — and it is the goal of this conference — that in the interests of this [hemisphere], we all do it together; with you, with our neighbors and with our allies who are eager and willing and capable to do this,” Hegseth appealed to regional representatives.
ate last year, Washington had deployed about 10,000 troops in the Caribbean as part of efforts to combat transnational crime and the illicit drug trade in the region, especially coming out of Caracas.
The Trump Administration has stated that designated narco-terrorist organisations like Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles are using the region’s air and sea corridors to funnel drugs into the US, thus posing a direct threat to American lives and security.
On January 3, US troops captured Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas, taking them to New York to face several indictments on drug trafficking and narco-terrorism.
However, this development had sparked concerns of an expansionism plan by the North American powerhouse – something which President Dr Irfaan Ali had already shut down.
“My priority is the safety and security of the Guyanese people, and on the integrity of our borders, our territorial integrity and our sovereignty. And nothing in that relation will ever be compromised,” President Ali declared to reporters during an interview on the sidelines of an event on January 10.
According to the Head of State, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Guyana, “…our allies and development partners are with us on that.”
In fact, President Ali has a series of security-related engagements with top US officials including Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, as recent as last week on the sidelines of the CARICOM Head of Government Conference in St Kitts and Nevis.
While in St Kitts, the Guyanese Leader confirmed that he was invited by President Trump for a meeting in Florida this weekend. President Ali said he intends to focus his discussions on strengthening bilateral relationships in terms of regional security.
“Over the last couple of years, we’ve been engaging in strengthening our bilateral relationship in terms of security. And what the US Administration is having in Miami is a meeting on security matters that is convened by President Trump… It’s a meeting dealing with security matters, it’s dealing with some of the challenges in the region, and to see how we can coordinate better in relation to those challenges. And this is an engagement that has been ongoing,” Ali stated.
Based on reports, the leaders of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago are the only Caribbean representatives who will be attending this weekend’s high-level meeting.