Relationship dossier
The Bahamas
United States
Relationship assessment
Sustained cooperation on maritime security, law enforcement and disaster response
The Bahamas toward United States
+40The Bahamian government cooperates with the United States on maritime law enforcement, including joint efforts to interdict illicit trafficking under bilateral arrangements. Bahamian authorities also cooperate with U.S. law enforcement through extradition and related channels.
United States toward The Bahamas
+40The United States cooperates with The Bahamas on maritime security and law enforcement, including joint interdiction efforts and security assistance. U.S. agencies have also provided disaster-response support to The Bahamas, including after Hurricane Dorian.
Overall relationship
+40The relationship is characterized by durable security and law-enforcement cooperation, supported by bilateral maritime arrangements and extradition cooperation. Disaster-response assistance adds a practical area of partnership. These recurring forms of engagement underpin a close, cooperative relationship.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Bahamas and the United States maintain sustained practical cooperation, notably on maritime law enforcement and security. Bilateral arrangements support joint operations against illicit trafficking, and the countries also cooperate on extradition and disaster response. The relationship is close and functional, though the precise scope and implementation of individual security arrangements are not fully clear.
Key developments
Bilateral maritime law-enforcement arrangements enabled cooperation, including joint interdiction operations against illicit trafficking.
The United States provided disaster-response support to The Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of maritime law-enforcement arrangements may vary over time.
- The scale and continuity of specific security-assistance and disaster-response programs are unclear.