US Lists Belize as Major Drug Transit Countries for 2025

Four Caribbean countries have been listed as major drug transit and illicit drug-producing countries for the fiscal year 2025 by the United States. The four countries are Belize, the Bahamas, Jamaica, and Haiti. President Joe Biden clarified that this designation is not a reflection of these governments’ counterdrug efforts, stating, “The list is not a sanction or penalty.”

President Biden explained that the criteria for this designation involve geographic, commercial, and economic factors that facilitate drug transit or production, regardless of a government’s commitment to narcotics control. He noted that recent amendments to the definition now include countries supplying precursor chemicals.

Despite the challenges, Biden highlighted a recent decrease in drug overdose deaths in the US, with an estimated 107,543 deaths in 2023. This represents the first annual decline since 2018, which he attributed to his administration’s efforts while also emphasising the importance of a coordinated global response to the drug crisis.

To combat drug trafficking, Biden’s administration launched a Global Coalition in July 2023, now comprising over 150 countries. He stated, “Every continent is experiencing an alarming increase in the manufacturing, trafficking, and consumption of dangerous illicit synthetic drugs.” Other countries included in the US list are Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burma, China, Colombia, and Mexico, among others.