‘House of Pain’

MIAMI, Florida:

Jamaica’s association with drug trafficking in the United States has earned it a prominent – and troubling – spot in the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) museum at the Miami port, notoriously dubbed the ‘House of Pain’. The name reflects the relentless, high-pressure work of CBP agents in detecting and seizing illegal contraband entering the US.

During a tour of the facility on Tuesday, which coincides with the Trump administration’s designation of Jamaica as a major drug transit or producing country, the island was featured in two major drug busts. In one case, over 1,500 pounds of cocaine were found hidden in a yam shipment. In another, more than 2,000 pounds of marijuana were seized in a shipment of air brakes. These incidents are documented in the museum to educate new agents on the evolving methods smugglers use to bypass security.

The port visit was part of the US State Department’s Foreign Press Center Reporting Tour in Miami and Kansas City, organised in collaboration with Meridian International Center. The Gleaner is among 12 international media outlets participating.

CBP Supervisor William Prado explained that officers at Port Miami handle all inspections.

“We pretty much do all our labour ourselves. We unload containers, we load containers, and we do the inspections. We have no contractors working with us at all,” Prado said.

He highlighted the agency’s collaboration with foreign governments through the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and the Customs Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (CTPAT), both aimed at strengthening the security of global supply chains.

PARTNERSHIPS

“[CSI] works with foreign governments to develop intelligence and generate targets for us. We also have what’s called CTPAT, which is a partnership between US Customs and foreign business entities, which is to ensure that their supply chain is secure. So, every step – from the moment they manufacture ‘til it gets placed on a ship and sailed to our state – we are ensuring that that shipper is a good shipper,” Prado said.

This intelligence flows into the National Targeting Center, which then directs field units, including Miami, to inspect high-risk shipments.

Journalists were shown advanced screening technologies and visited the museum section containing real-life examples of seized contraband, including weapons and narcotics. Prado described the ongoing battle with smugglers as a “cat-and-mouse game”, emphasising the need to constantly change tactics.

Port Director Kemisha Sherrell noted that CBP targets threats in both the passenger and cargo environment.

“So, certainly we are looking at things that are coming across our borders inbound, but certainly those things that are leaving, that may be whether they are protected material, maybe for technology or different things like that, or certainly narcotics smuggling and weapons smuggling as well,” she said.

Meanwhile, the US State Department’s 2026 report on major drug transit and producing countries lists four CARICOM nations: The Bahamas, Belize, Haiti, and Jamaica. Other countries on the list include the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Colombia, China, and Afghanistan.

Trump, in his message to Congress, emphasised that a country’s inclusion isn’t necessarily a judgement on its government’s efforts but rather on its geographic and commercial role in the drug trade. He stressed that transnational criminal networks, especially those trafficking fentanyl, have created a national emergency in the US.

He also noted that illicit drugs remain the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 to 44.

“This remains unacceptable, and my administration is deploying every aspect of American power and unprecedented resources to defeat this threat to our nation,” the president said.

andre.williams@gleanerjm.com