US Announces $44 Million Initiative to Combat Drug Trafficking Across the Pacific

By Suman Munshi | IBG NEWS

WASHINGTON, October 28, 2026: The United States has announced $44 million in new security and law enforcement programmes to combat escalating drug trafficking and transnational criminal activity across the Pacific Islands. The initiative aims to strengthen maritime security, improve intelligence sharing and equip regional law enforcement agencies to tackle increasingly complex criminal networks.

The announcement was made by F. Cartwright Weiland, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), during a virtual press briefing organised by the US Department of State’s Asia Pacific Media Hub on October 27.

The funding follows the first US–Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers (COPMIN), hosted by the United States in Los Angeles the previous week. The conference brought together Pacific Island police ministers, US officials and law enforcement representatives to discuss coordinated responses to drug trafficking and other cross-border crimes.

Sharp Increase in Drug Seizures Raises Alarm

According to Weiland, authorities across the Pacific had seized 17 tonnes of illicit drugs before May 2026—more than three times the total seized throughout 2025. He cautioned that seizures represent only a portion of the drugs entering the region.

The US official also highlighted the wider consequences of narcotics trafficking, including drug consumption, violence and the expansion of criminal networks. He said criminal groups were exploiting the vast distances between Pacific Island nations and major countries such as the United States, Australia and New Zealand to move illicit substances through maritime routes and ports.

These networks are also linked to scam operations targeting people across multiple countries, adding another layer to the region’s growing security challenges.

$7 Million Regional Centre Planned for Palau

A major component of the newly announced funding is a $7 million regional crime-fighting centre in Palau. The proposed facility is intended to support maritime law enforcement training and strengthen financial intelligence and cybercrime capabilities across Palau and other Pacific jurisdictions.

The latest commitments build on the United States’ expanding security assistance in the region. Weiland said his bureau began its Pacific engagement in 2021 with an investment of $6 million. The total investment has since exceeded $60 million. The bureau also opened its first regional office in Suva, Fiji, in 2024 and plans to expand its presence.

During the Los Angeles conference, participating officials observed cargo-screening technology at the Port of Long Beach, joined the US Coast Guard for maritime operations and visited Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration facilities. They also received briefings from the Los Angeles Police Department’s SWAT team on responding to emerging threats and complex crimes.

RIPTIDE to Connect Intelligence Across Two Regions

Another key initiative discussed during the briefing was RIPTIDE, a US-supported effort designed to improve coordination against criminal enterprises operating across the Western Hemisphere and the Pacific.

The initiative currently has $4 million in US investment, according to Weiland. It aims to facilitate intelligence sharing between countries in the Americas and the Pacific so that information about drug-trafficking organisations can be communicated quickly across regions.

The programme may involve cooperation with international bodies such as INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization to improve connections between national information-sharing systems.

Weiland explained that criminal activity in the Pacific cannot always be understood independently of developments in Latin America. He referred to the growing capability of semi-submersible vessels to travel long distances across the Pacific, while cautioning that the precise involvement and presence of individual cartel networks in Pacific Island nations remain under assessment.

Maritime Surveillance and Financial Intelligence in Focus

The United States is also seeking to strengthen maritime domain awareness, particularly for island nations with extensive exclusive economic zones (EEZs) but relatively small fleets of patrol vessels.

Weiland said technology-based surveillance tools could help countries such as Fiji monitor activity across their maritime territories, detect suspicious movements and improve the interception of illicit shipments.

Financial intelligence is another priority. Drug-trafficking organisations depend on financial transactions and money-laundering networks to sustain their operations. The US initiative seeks to improve the ability of smaller Pacific nations to analyse financial flows and use advanced tools independently.

The United States is working with partners, including Australia and New Zealand, to support these efforts.

Southeast Asian Cooperation May Expand

The briefing also addressed the potential for broader regional cooperation involving Southeast Asian countries. The Philippines participated in this year’s COPMIN, bringing experience in maritime security and efforts to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.

Weiland said the future participation of additional countries had not yet been determined, but welcomed greater engagement among nations facing similar maritime challenges.

He added that the INL already supports maritime law enforcement training in South Asia and maintains personnel across the region. Existing experience in tackling scam centres and sexual exploitation in parts of mainland Southeast Asia could also help Pacific nations confronting similar criminal activities.

However, the US official did not announce a specific expansion plan or confirm a timetable for the next conference.

US Emphasises Partnership Rather Than Direct Control

Weiland stressed that the initiative was intended to support sovereign Pacific nations rather than dictate their domestic security policies. Assistance would include training, equipment, technical advisers and intelligence sharing, with regional governments retaining responsibility for their own law enforcement operations.

He described the Los Angeles conference as an important step towards a more coordinated response to transnational crime and expressed hope that the participating countries would build on its outcomes, potentially through another meeting in the coming year.

The announcement reflects growing US concern that criminal networks operating across the Americas are extending their reach into the Pacific. Washington believes closer cooperation among Pacific Island nations, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and other regional partners will be essential to disrupting trafficking routes and protecting vulnerable communities.

Source: US Department of State, Virtual Press Briefing with F. Cartwright Weiland, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, October 27, 2026.