AUGUST 21, 2026 – The Governments of the United States and Jamaica have signed a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). This agreement builds on the already strong bilateral security partnership acknowledged and discussed by United States Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and the Jamaican Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Security Dr. Horace Chang during their bilateral meeting in the margins of the Americas Counter Cartels Coalition Forum in Panama on August 12, 2026.
Status of Forces Agreements are international instruments that establish and formalize 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.
Jamaica joins more than 120 partner nations that have similar agreements with the United States.
Jamaica and the United States have enjoyed decades of close security cooperation. Since the establishment of the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF), members of the United States Armed Forces and JDF have participated in joint training exercises, professional exchanges, humanitarian and disaster response activities, and other forms of security cooperation.
This SOFA agreement is a message to the criminal organizations in the region, that the United States Armed Forces and JDF are committed to deepening and expanding their cooperation including in their efforts to fight criminal organizations 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, defense cooperation, and disaster response.
Through this agreement, the United States and Jamaica reaffirm their commitment to a strong security partnership that advances peace through strength and the mutual interests of our countries.