MINISTER of Foreign Affairs and Immigration Fred Mitchell said the collaborative efforts between the Government of the Bahamas and the United States of America remains critical to the continued success against the “constant assault” of trans-national criminal activity.

His remarks came during the signing of a “Modification/Amendment Five to the Letter of Agreement (ALOA) on Narcotics Control and Law Enforcement” between the Bahamas and the US at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs yesterday morning.

Mr Mitchell signed on behalf of the Government with Deputy Assistant Secretary of United States Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs Luis Arreaga signing for the US.

“Today, money laundering and trafficking in illicit drugs, illegal small and light firearms and human continue to test and challenge the national law enforcement agencies of countries globally in the Bahamas and the United States, as criminals are becoming more ingenious in their methods of trans-national criminal activity, which have no boundary and continue to attack and destroy the very essence of our society,” Minister Mitchell said.

This signing, he said, signified the Government of United States’ commitment in the areas of law enforcement, support, counter-narcotics control, drug demand reduction and anti-corruption reform.

“On behalf of the Government and the people of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, I offer my thanks for this contribution of $1,850,000, which will assist in the efforts of the Bahamas in its initiatives and fight against the surge of organised crime,” he said.