Pacific and U.S. agree to boost police cooperation against drugs and transnational crime

Pacific countries and the United States have agreed to strengthen maritime security, intelligence sharing and law enforcement cooperation to combat drug trafficking, cyber-enabled crime and illicit financial flows across the region. The commitment was outlined in a joint communiqué after the inaugural U.S.–Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers, hosted by the United States and Palau in Los Angeles on 21–22 October. Participants said transnational criminal networks trafficking methamphetamine, cocaine and other synthetic drugs are a growing threat in the Pacific, and noted that cartel-linked narcotics moving through the region have surpassed those originating from Asia since 2024.