US Vice President Kamala Harris announced Thursday that the US is investing more than $100 million in the Caribbean region to crack down on weapons trafficking, help alleviate Haiti’s humanitarian crisis and support climate change initiatives.
The announcement was made ahead of an official trip to the Bahamas for a meeting of Caribbean and US leaders hosted by Harris and Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis. Harris, who is the highest-ranking US official to visit the Bahamas since it became independent 50 years ago, landed shortly after noon.
Dozens of greeters including school children and members of her sorority greeted Harris as the Royal Bahamas Police Force band dressed in black, red and white uniform played.
As part of the initiatives, the US Justice Department expects to appoint a coordinator to oversee cases involving illegal weapons smuggling in the Caribbean as island nations report a rise in violent crimes.
