Bolivia signs $20 million deal with US to fight drug trafficking

Wed Jun 17 2026 16:14:58 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Bolivia has inked a $20 million pact with the United States to train and equip its forces in a joint effort to curb drug smuggling, signalling a thaw in the countries’ tense relations.

Bolivia recently announced a new security agreement with the United States, worth $20 million, aimed at strengthening its public security forces to fight drug trafficking. The deal marks a significant shift in Bolivia’s foreign policy, extending over 18 years of strained relations since the DEA was expelled under former President Evo Morales. Under the new agreement, the US will provide training, equipment and support to tackle narcotics smuggling, as Bolivia joins the Shield of the Americas. The partnership comes amid rising protests and the centrist President Rodrigo Paz’s strategic alliances with U.S. allies.

Bolivia signs $20 million deal with US to fight drug trafficking

Bolivia foreign ministry handshake with US

Bolivia’s foreign ministry announced that it has signed a new co‑operation deal with the United States to combat drug trafficking. The agreement will see the US provide up to $20 million to train and equip Bolivian forces as part of a joint campaign against drug smuggling.

The move marks a sharp reversal in relations that were frozen 18 years ago when former President Evo Morales expelled the DEA from the country. Now, under centrist President Rodrigo Paz, Bolivia has also joined the Shield of the Americas, a US‑led security initiative in the Western Hemisphere.

According to AFP, the US embassy confirmed that the United States will work closely with the Bolivian government to provide training, equipment and other forms of support. The goal is to strengthen institutions tasked with public security, criminal investigations and the fight against organised crime.

The agreement was signed in La Paz less than two weeks after President Paz named Ernesto Justiniano, known as Bolivia’s “drug czar”, as the new defence minister. It follows a joint statement by 12 regional leaders, including the US, who said they stand with the Bolivian government amid protests that threaten the country’s constitutional order.

The main aim of the coalition is to combat narco‑terrorism. Under President Trump’s directive, US forces have targeted vessels suspected of smuggling illicit substances, with over 200 casualties in strikes since September. Bolivia’s renewed cooperation signals a broader, multinational strategy to tackle the trafficking network that fuels cocaine production.