August 20, 2026

Jamaica and US sign agreement for armed forces to conduct mutually agreed activities

The Governments of Jamaica and the United States have signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA).

Status of Forces Agreements are international instruments that establish and formalise the terms under which members of one country’s armed forces may be temporarily present in another country for mutually agreed activities, including training exercises and joint operations.

A statement from the Ministry of National Security says the SOFA agreement builds on the already strong bilateral security partnership acknowledged and discussed between Portfolio Minister Dr. Horace Chang and United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

They held a bilateral meeting on the margins of the Americas Counter Cartels Coalition Forum in Panama on August 12.

Jamaica joins more than 120 partner nations that have similar agreements with the United States.

The National Security Ministry points out that Jamaica and the United States have enjoyed decades of close security cooperation.

Since the establishment of the Jamaica Defence Force, members of the United States Armed Forces and the JDF have participated in joint training exercises, professional exchanges, humanitarian and disaster response activities, as well as other forms of security cooperation.

The Ministry says this SOFA agreement is a message to the criminal organisations in the region that the United States Armed Forces and the JDF are committed to deepening and expanding their cooperation, including in their efforts to fight criminal organisations and narco-terrorists who traffic guns, drugs, and people.

The signing of the SOFA provides a modern and predictable framework to further strengthen cooperation in areas of shared interest, including regional security, defence cooperation and disaster response.