The Royal Bahamas Defence Force (RBDF) seized 10 kilograms of cocaine along with two bales of marijuana and 54 Haitian migrants near the Exuma Islands in late July 2026. The RBDF interdicted a sailing vessel after receiving intelligence about the boat’s location and possible cargo from the United States, according to an RBDF news release.
The HMBS Maderia deployed with U.S. aviation assets interdicted the vessel on July 27 around Norman’s Cay and Way Cay in the Exumas, a group of small islands in the central region of The Bahamas, reported the Nassau Guardian, a Bahamian newspaper.
Royal Bahamas Police officers also participated in the operation. When Bahamian security officials boarded the sailboat, they found 54 Haitian migrants — 47 men, six women and a 3-year-old girl. Officers also discovered the cocaine and marijuana. The drugs and migrants were transported by the Madeira to RBDF headquarters at Coral Harbour, the Guardian reported.
The Madeira, commanded by Lt. Nicholas Cartwright, received assistance from the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park warden in securing the contraband and migrants and transported the vessel to Coral Harbour. The RBDF “remains committed to protecting the territorial integrity of The Bahamas and working with local and international partners to combat human smuggling and the trafficking of illegal drugs throughout the country’s maritime domain,” the RBDF post said.
The seizure was another successful result of Operation Bahamas Turks and Caicos (OPBAT), a partnership formed in 1982 by The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), British Overseas Territory, and the U.S. to combat drug smuggling and disrupt the supply routes that funnel narcotics from the Caribbean and South America. The Bahamas, a far-flung archipelago with a vast maritime domain, has traditionally been a key chokepoint for drug flows to the southeastern U.S.
In February, The Bahamas, TCI and the U.S. convened to discuss methods to increase the capability of OPBAT to disrupt transnational criminal organizations’ (TCO) ability to ferry drugs through the northern Caribbean. The summit, which also included representatives from Canada, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica, agreed to enhance operational effectiveness through the expansion of intelligence sharing, improvements in communication and coordination, strengthened port security and increased interoperability, according to a news release from The Bahamas Foreign Ministry. The countries and territories also expressed interest in improving their domain awareness through increased surveillance, especially unmanned aerial systems. Then-Bahamian National Security Minister Wayne Munroe said the attendees reached a consensus that more needs to be done to stem the flow of narcotics in the region and counter the growing TCO threat. “Our shared waters are under assault from a convergence of threats that respect no border. The political will is here; now we must match it with operational will,” he said.