By KEILE CAMPBELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

kcampbell@tribunemedia.net

NATIONAL Security Minister Wayne Munroe has rejected claims from a US official that The Bahamas has gone soft on immigration enforcement, insisting that if such criticisms were valid, the United States Coast Guard would share the blame.

Mr Munroe was responding to St Lucie County Sheriff Richard Del Toro, who told US media that The Bahamas had become a launch point for undocumented migrants and narcotics.

His comments followed reports of a US operation in which three vessels allegedly returning from Bahamian waters were intercepted with 30 undocumented Chinese nationals and more than 160 kilos of cocaine. Five Bahamians were arrested, with three others later detained in Florida, according to US authorities.

“If what he says is correct, then the Coast Guard is also guilty of the same thing he accused the Defence Force of being guilty of,” Mr Munroe told The Tribune. “I am not of the view that either the RBDF or the Coast Guard is lacking. I know both organisations work hard.”

He stressed that the Royal Bahamas Defence Force works closely with US counterparts on intelligence-led maritime patrols and that the mere presence of foreign nationals in Bahamian waters does not indicate lax enforcement.

Mr Munroe said legal presence should not be confused with wrongdoing. “If a vessel is leaving The Bahamas, it only commits an offence when it tries to illegally enter the US,” he said, adding that people from some nationalities travelling with Bahamians in Bahamian waters are not in violation of local immigration laws.

The minister pointed to the sheer volume of pleasure craft moving between Florida and Bimini or Grand Bahama, noting that many appear routine, making it difficult to distinguish those engaged in smuggling.

“We cooperate with the US and have committed vessels to help prevent human smuggling,” he said. “They patrol the approaches to the US, and they assist us in patrolling approaches to The Bahamas.”

He acknowledged that despite close cooperation, no country can stop every illegal attempt. “We cannot stop everything, and neither can they,” Mr Munroe said.

He added that both nations continue to share intelligence and resources in joint efforts to address ongoing migration and security challenges in the region.