By EARYEL BOWLEG 

Tribune Staff Reporter 

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

CHINA’S influence in The Bahamas may have grown because the United States has not “pressed its case here,” National Security Minister Wayne Munroe has suggested.

He made the remark in an interview with an NBC News journalist in a report examining The Bahamas’ fight against human smuggling. It featured Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) Commodore Floyd Moxey.

The report noted that in August, US officials intercepted 30 Chinese nationals off Florida’s coast suspected of being undocumented, and in January, about two dozen were caught in an “upscale” Miami neighbourhood. It also highlighted that The Bahamas lifted visa requirements for Chinese tourists in 2014, after which China “invested heavily” in local infrastructure, including a major resort and a newly approved hospital.

Asked whether Chinese government investments were influencing Bahamian policy or facilitating illegal migration, Mr Munroe said: “Clearly, we would prefer to do business, I would think, with the United States, for obvious reasons.

“Perhaps China has the influence here because the US has not pressed its case here. As far as I’m aware, in all of my ministry’s interactions with the Chinese, there’s been no quid pro quo.”

NBC News said apprehensions of “tourists” using The Bahamas as a gateway into the United States surged between 2021 and 2023 before declining over the past two years, mirroring a similar trend among Chinese migrant detentions. The report’s graph showed human smuggling apprehensions peaking at nearly 2,000, before dropping to just above zero in 2025. Chinese migrant apprehensions, which were over 80 in 2023, reportedly fell to about 40 in 2024.

The American TV network claimed it obtained exclusive audio from May of a man identifying himself as a smuggler, telling a prospective client they would not get caught if they travelled to Florida by boat from The Bahamas.

St Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro previously alleged that The Bahamas had “relaxed a lot” of its immigration enforcement after several Bahamians were arrested in smuggling attempts near Florida.

Mr Munroe denied this, saying no immigration policies have changed despite periodic fluctuations in smuggling trends.

NBC also examined the RBDF’s response capabilities, noting that one of its fast-response vessels is typically among the first deployed when suspicious activity arises. Officials said the country’s scattered geography and vibrant boating culture make enforcement “an uphill battle.”

Mr Munroe said criminals often try to “blend in” but emphasised the close working relationship between the RBDF, US Homeland Security, and the US Coast Guard, adding that these agencies have methods to identify bad actors.

The report noted that the United States has carried out multiple deadly strikes on suspected drug smuggling vessels in international waters, many in the Caribbean Sea.

Mr Munroe said countries are free to defend themselves, but insisted that anyone found guilty of wrongdoing should face the full weight of the law.

The NBC piece concluded that Parliament is moving to increase penalties for human smuggling, while the RBDF expands its radar network and maintains daily communication with the US Coast Guard.