U.S. and Cuba hold law enforcement dialogue in D.C.

The United States and Cuba held an inaugural Law Enforcement Dialogue in Washington, DC. on Monday (Nov. 9), informed a release issued by the U.S. Dept. of State. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs Alex Lee (in photo at top) and Deputy Assistant Attorney General Bruce Swartz led the delegation for the United States, and Abel Gonzalez Santamaria, Deputy Advisor of the Commission on Defense and National Security, and Ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez, Director of Bilateral Affairs, Directorate General for the United States, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led the Cuba delegation.

Law enforcement is a key area in the bilateral relationship as the United States continues on the path toward normalized relations with Cuba. The meeting took place in a respectful and productive environment and reinforced the benefits of law enforcement cooperation to both countries. The discussion focused on a wide range of areas of cooperation in law enforcement, including counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, transnational crime, cyber-crime, secure travel and trade, and fugitives.

Both parties agreed to continue the dialogue and, under its auspices, pursue deeper bilateral cooperation via technical meetings throughout the first half of 2016.