Belize Again Named on U.S. List of Major Drug Transit Countries

Belize has once more been included on the United States government’s list of “major drug transit or major illicit drug producing countries” for the upcoming fiscal year. The designation was made today, September 15, in a presidential determination submitted to the U.S. Congress.

Belize is among 23 countries named, including regional neighbors The Bahamas, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama. The list also features countries in Latin America, Asia, and the Caribbean that play significant roles in the international drug trade.

According to the U.S. determination, being on the list is not necessarily a reflection of the efforts or level of cooperation of a country’s government in countering narcotics. Instead, it is based on geographic, commercial, and economic factors that make certain countries vulnerable to being used as transit routes or production hubs.

The U.S. notes that Belize’s proximity to Mexico and other Central American nations, combined with porous borders and maritime routes, makes it a key transshipment point for cocaine and other drugs destined for North America and Europe.

While countries like Colombia, Venezuela, and Afghanistan were singled out for having “failed demonstrably” to meet international counternarcotics commitments, Belize was not among them. Still, its continued presence on the list underscores ongoing concerns from Washington about drug trafficking networks operating in and through the country.

The determination forms part of the U.S. administration’s broader strategy to curb the trafficking of fentanyl, cocaine, and other illicit drugs into its territory.