U.S., Cuba Renew Law Enforcement Dialogue After Hiatus
After a more than four-year hiatus, U.S. and Cuban security officials officially resumed the U.S.-Cuba Law Enforcement Dialogue. Officials from both countries met from January 18 to 19 in Havana, Cuba to discuss security concerns.
The meeting marks the first formal talks under the Dialogue since 2018. The program was started by the Obama Administration in 2015 but paused by the Trump Administration in 2018, as President Trump rolled back some of the Obama Administration’s policies designed to improve relations between the U.S. and Cuba.
Since taking office, President Biden reversed some of President Trump’s Cuba policies but left others in place, expressing concern over Cuba’s human rights record.
In a statement on the talks, the State Department said, “Enhanced law enforcement coordination is in the best interests of the United States and the Cuban people. This dialogue does not impact the administration’s continued focus on critical human rights issues in Cuba, which is always central to our engagement.”
Among the topics discussed was counterterrorism. President Trump placed Cuba on the list of state sponsors of terrorism in January 2021, shortly before leaving office. The Biden Administration is currently reviewing the designation.
The talks also focused on cybercrime, drug trafficking, and other issues.
The Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) co-chaired the dialogue for the U.S.
Representatives from U.S. immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans, U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Embassy in Havana, Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of International Affairs, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Department of State’s Bureaus of Western Hemisphere Affairs and Office of the Legal Adviser were among those taking part.
The talks did not sit well with some Republican members of Congress, particularly those from Florida, where there is a heavy Cuban population. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Representative Mario Diaz-Balart (R-FL), both Cuban-Americans, released a press release saying:
“If we put appeasement into practice with Cuba, we will lose the leverage we need to prevent greater oppression…. We cannot forget that we are dealing with criminals who use illegal immigration as a weapon against the U.S., support international narco-terrorists…, and remain a staunch ally of America’s greatest adversaries….”
Biden Administration officials disagree saying that “Engaging in these talks underscores our commitment to pursuing constructive discussions with the Government of Cuba where appropriate to advance U.S. interests.”
Meanwhile, Reuters reports that Cuba Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said, “Bilateral cooperation to confront scourges like terrorism, illegal trafficking of migrants and migratory fraud benefit both countries and we are committed to it despite the economic blockade and incessant hostility of the United States.”
While these are the first law enforcement talks between the U.S. and Cuba since 2018, U.S. and Cuban officials met last year to discuss migration, as the Biden Administration sought ways to stem the flow of Cuban migrants to the United States.