GCC Secretary General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi met with Panama Ambassador Candice Williams on Monday, June 8, 2026, in Riyadh to discuss preparations for the upcoming Association of Caribbean States (ACS) meeting scheduled for this month in Panama. According to Gulf News, the meeting focused on GCC participation in the ACS meeting and strengthening GCC-Caribbean relations. The Secretary General highlighted that GCC participation in the ACS meeting reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional relations with the Association, aligned with the memorandum of understanding signed between both sides. Both parties also reviewed bilateral relations between the GCC and Caribbean states, as well as GCC-Panama relations, exchanging views on several issues of mutual interest.
Exercise Tropical Dagger XIII, conducted by Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago and ending on March 7, demonstrated advanced military capabilities across the Caribbean region. According to reports from Business Standard, the exercise showcased drone-enabled surveillance, intelligence fusion, tactical aviation assets, rapid-response weapons and maritime assault systems developed for counter-narcotics and urban warfare missions. The operation featured live-fire drills with the United States' assault rifles and precision carbines, along with tactical communications systems and surveillance technologies.
Operation Southern Spear, a US-led counter-narcotics military operation that began in November, has evolved into a high-intensity kinetic theatre over the past two months. As reported by Business Standard, the Joint Task Force Southern Spear executed its 56th lethal kinetic maritime strike on May 4. The operation utilizes autonomous interceptor robotic vessels and vertical take-off and landing drones to engage targets without endangering sailors, along with long-endurance unmanned surface vehicles serving as mobile sonar systems.
The Dominican Republic bolstered regional defence cooperation during Exercise CENTAM Guardian 2026 in April, focusing on crisis response, military readiness, interoperability, and multidomain warfare. According to Business Standard, the exercise integrated space awareness with conventional land and maritime missions for the first time, featuring interoperable command-and-control systems, encrypted communications, and naval surveillance weapon systems.
Several Caribbean countries are reframing defence spending policies towards cyber-sovereignty as a vital national security priority. As reported by Business Standard, the Caribbean Community upgraded its Cyber Security and Cybercrime Action Plan to focus on military-grade cyber resilience, encrypted government communications, and regional intelligence-sharing. This shift reflects the evolving threat landscape facing the region.
Haiti's deepening security crisis has entered a militarised stage with security forces fielding explosive drones to fight gangs and prevent territorial expansion beyond Port-au-Prince. According to Business Standard, the drone campaign is believed to be assisted by a foreign private military firm providing surveillance, targeting, and tactical logistics. Militant groups now dominate crucial transport corridors using military-grade rifles, improvised explosives, and ambush methods, with intelligence reports indicating gangs possess high-calibre assault weapons, belt-fed machine guns, and trafficked ammunition.
