US & Cuba Sign Law Enforcement MOU

Western Hemisphere: United States and Cuba To Sign Law Enforcement Memorandum of Understanding

On January 16, the United States and Cuba signed a bilateral Law Enforcement Memorandum of Understanding to deepen law enforcement cooperation and information sharing.

Under this memorandum, the United States and Cuba will continue the Law Enforcement Dialogue process, which includes technical exchanges on specific law enforcement issues of mutual concern such as counternarcotics, money laundering, fraud and human smuggling, and counterterrorism.

U.S. Embassy Havana Chargé d’Affaires Jeffrey DeLaurentis signed for the United States and Minister of the Interior Vice Admiral Julio César Gandarilla signed on behalf of Cuba. This MOU was negotiated as part of the Law Enforcement Dialogue, which is co-chaired for the United States by the Departments of Justice, State, and Homeland Security.

Cuba and US sign Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation in Areas Associated with National Security

CUBA, January 17, 2017.- The governments of the Republic of Cuba and the United States of America signed Monday in Havana a Memorandum of Understanding for Cooperation in Enforcement and Enforcement of the Law that will allow the promotion and expansion of Bilateral ties in important areas of national security in both countries.

The parties agreed to increase coordination for the prevention and confrontation of terrorist acts; Illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs; Crimes committed through the use of information and communication technologies, and cybersecurity issues of mutual interest; Trafficking in persons; Smuggling of migrants; The traffic of flora and fauna; Money laundering; The falsification of identity and travel documents; Smuggling, including firearms, their parts, components, ammunition, explosives, cash and monetary instruments; Among other crimes under the jurisdiction of both countries.

The memorandum was signed by Vice-Admiral Julio Cesar Gandarilla Bermejo, Minister of Interior of the Republic of Cuba and by Ambassador Jeffrey DeLaurentis, Chargé d'affaires of the US Embassy. In Havana.

The signing ceremony of the memorandum was attended by Benjamín Rhodes, US deputy national security adviser, who is on an official visit to the island, as well as representatives of the Defense and National Security Commission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cuba (Cubaminrex-Granma)