By RASHAD ROLLE

Tribune News Editor 

rrolle@tribunemedia.net 

THE Bahamas has once again been named among the world’s major drug transit countries by the President of the United States, placing the country on a list submitted to the US Congress yesterday.

In his annual Presidential Determination on Major Drug Transit or Major Illicit Drug Producing Countries for the 2026 fiscal year, the US leader identified 23 nations, including The Bahamas, as critical routes or sources in the global narcotics trade. Others on the list include Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Mexico, Colombia, and Venezuela.

The White House stressed that a country’s inclusion is not necessarily a judgment on its government’s enforcement efforts or cooperation with Washington. Instead, geography, commerce, and economic factors often make countries vulnerable to trafficking, even where officials are taking strong action.

While The Bahamas was listed as a transit state, five countries — Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, Colombia, and Venezuela — were singled out as having “failed demonstrably” to meet their counter-drug obligations. These designations could trigger restrictions on US aid unless waived for national security reasons.

The determination comes as Washington intensifies its campaign against the flow of fentanyl and other synthetic drugs, which US officials describe as a national emergency claiming more than 200 American lives a day.

The Bahamas has long featured on the US government’s annual narcotics report, reflecting its proximity to the United States and location along Caribbean smuggling routes. The country has been included on this presidential list for years.

The announcement also comes shortly after two US military strikes on vessels near Venezuela that Washington claimed were transporting drugs. On September 2, the US said a strike killed 11 people aboard an alleged smuggling boat, followed by another operation on September 15 that left three dead. Venezuela’s government condemned the attacks as acts of aggression, while US officials described them as part of a wider campaign to dismantle drug trafficking networks in the region.