Saint Lucia is among over 30 countries taking part in Exercise TradeWinds 2024 which officially began on Saturday in Barbados.
The Saint Lucia contingent comprises sixteen officers, including nine taking part in special operations training and four participating in maritime law enforcement training.
The TradeWinds exercise will focus on countering transnational organised crime, emphasising unique threats that could occur during the upcoming T20 World Cup Cricket competition.
Saint Lucia’s Daren Sammy Cricket Ground is among the match venues.
Commander Mark Peterson, the host nation planning lead for TradeWinds 2024, disclosed that the focus would be on countering transnational criminal organisations, violent extremist organisations and responding to disaster events.
Approximately 1 200 participants are involved in the exercise which ends on May 16.
The theme for the event is: Tailored For The Region By The Region – Promoting A Secure Caribbean 2024 And Beyond.
The Barbados Defence Force (BDF) and the United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) are hosting the event with an aim of enhancing interoperability and readiness among allied forces.
Last month, Saint Lucia hosted the Regional Security System (RSS) Unity Exercise 2024 (UNEX’ 24).
The April 2 to 13 event saw a significant turnout with over 200 law enforcement and military officials from various countries.
They participated in training exercises to assess and enhance their interoperability, readiness, and resilience.
The RSS described the annual exercise as the main tool for testing the efficiency of coordinating resource deployments supporting the organization’s Member States.
IMAGE: Troops representing some 36 participating nations march during the parade to mark the opening of the 39th staging of Exercise TradeWinds. (Photo by Shanna More)
