By Gerrino J. Saunders

Bahama Journal News Editor 

With ruthless gangs continuing to wreak havoc in Haiti the situation remains a severe threat to regional security on any number of levels including gang members infiltrating Caribbean countries trying to escape retaliation or exact revenge killings, this in addition to large numbers of Haitian citizens risking their lives to flee the country to escape the violence and economic hardships.

Upon his return from the United States meeting with the U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent, Prime Minister Philip Davis while addressing the subject of regional security and stability, especially the ongoing crisis and tragedy in Haiti said he welcomed the U.S. Government’s recent sanctions against key Haitian gang leaders, but he also made it clear: this is not enough. 

Asked if the U.S. pledged any additional support to The Bahamas efforts to stopping illegal migration through The Bahamas and on into the U.S. he said, “Yes through Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos, we talked about enhancing and providing more resources.”

He said, “They have pledged to continue to work with the multi-national mission to bring stability in Haiti, and to demonstrate their commitment to it, just before we left they had sanctioned two gang leaders because they believe they are supported by persons who might be living in the United States, and the only way they would be able to identify that is once gang leaders are sanctioned then American officials can deal with the persons in the United States who are providing the gangs with funding.  So yes, they are committed to assisting us. 

Prime Minister Davis said he also explained to the Americans that The Bahamas is exposed to a “disproportionate share” of the risks, including increased migration pressures on our borders.

He said, “Haiti needs solutions that address security, governance, and long-term economic development.  We believe there is a willingness through bilateral channels and multilateral mechanisms to build a more stable, secure future for the Haitian people and the region.” 

The Prime Minister Davis said he would describe the meetings as important to establishing the kinds of exchanges and relationships necessary for progress.

“The most serious challenges we face in The Bahamas are often not entirely of our own making,” he said. “We cannot be observers only, when it comes to international policy-making that has an impact on issues like safety, security, and affordability. We must be participants, and more than that, we can be contributors when it comes to creating shared solutions. When the world looks for voices of reason, we must be among them.”

In recent weeks and months a number of human smuggling operations between The Bahamas and the U.S. mainly Florida has been foiled either by capture or when the smugglers vessel malfunctions and rescue is needed.

The Prime Minister said he was also able to speak to the U.S. about the processing of irregular migrants by providing some assistance. “As you know we are on the frontline of that issue, and we bare the cost or repatriation and housing before repatriation and so discussions are being held in acknowledgment to that,” he said.

The use of Illegal firearms to commit murders and armed robberies is also major concern for The Bahamas and other countries in the region.  The Biden administration had committed to coordinated firearms prosecutions with Caribbean countries, Mr. Davis was asked if that arrangement remains the same under the Trump administration.

As it relates to the meeting with Ms. Harris in June 2023, the Prime Minister first reminded that one of the results that came out of that meeting was that the U.S. made it a federal offense for straw purchases of weapons (purchasing a weapon on behalf of someone else).

He noted that at that time they informed the U.S. that Bahamian police officers were able to trace the illegal guns back to gun shops in the U.S. where they were sold, the guns shops are able to identify the purchaser, and in some instances that one purchaser would have acquired sometimes up to 30 and 40 guns. 

However, Mr. Davis said, “We would want them to go further which is one of the things I indicated in the meeting, that if they are able to discover a purchaser of guns and one of those guns are found in The Bahamas being used in an offense, that purchaser ought to be made to account the rest of the guns they would have bought, because there has to be some presumption that the person maybe specifically a straw purchaser and/or just a trafficker buying guns for the purposes of export illegally to countries in the Caribbean.”

Mr. Davis said this is something the U.S. has agreed to take under advisement to strengthen the laws in the U.S. He said it is an ongoing discussion because it is a serious issue for both the Caribbean and the U.S. to suppress the trafficking of guns.

 Additionally, he said, “it is acknowledged by the U.S. authorities that guns are not manufactured in the Caribbean, and they also acknowledge that most of the guns that are in the Caribbean emanate from Florida and more attention is going to be paid to that.”

The Prime Minister said one of the things that is “heartening” for The Bahamas and the Caribbean is that Senator Rubio knows of the challenges firsthand having grown up in South Florida and had teachers who were Bahamians during his school years.

“So he will be addressing these issues not just from what is written in a book or was told to him, he would have a lived experience of these issues that we have,” said Prime Minister Davis.