HomeExtradition in the Caribbean: A Country-by-Country Guide to Treaties, US Cooperation, and Your Risks
The Caribbean is not a monolithic extradition zone. Treaty status, judicial independence, the presence or absence of a citizenship-by-investment programme, and the depth of cooperation with the United States vary sharply from island to island. Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad have longstanding treaty relationships with both the US and UK. Dominican Republic has cooperated extensively with US extradition requests. Others — including several Eastern Caribbean states — operate in a more ambiguous space. This guide provides a country-by-country framework for understanding Caribbean extradition risk.
The Caribbean Extradition Map: Treaty Coverage Varies Sharply by Island
The Caribbean jurisdictions fall into several categories for extradition purposes. Former British territories — including Jamaica, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Belize, and Guyana — inherited the UK extradition treaty infrastructure at independence and have generally continued to participate in it. The US has bilateral extradition treaties with many Caribbean states including Jamaica (1983), Barbados (1996), Trinidad and Tobago (1996), and Antigua and Barbuda (1996). The Dominican Republic operates under a very old treaty framework (1909 US treaty) but has cooperated extensively in practice.
| Jurisdiction | US Treaty | UK Treaty | CBI Programme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jamaica | Yes (1983) | Yes (inherited) | No |
| Dominican Republic | Yes (1909, active) | No formal treaty | No |
| Trinidad and Tobago | Yes (1996) | Yes (inherited) | No |
| Barbados | Yes (1996) | Yes (inherited) | No |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Yes (1996) | Yes (inherited) | Yes (CBI) |
| St Kitts and Nevis | No formal treaty | Yes (inherited) | Yes (CBI) |
| Dominica | No formal treaty | Limited | Yes (CBI) |
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) has jurisdiction over extradition matters in several Eastern Caribbean states. Its jurisprudence follows Commonwealth common law principles, applying dual criminality, prima facie evidence standards, and the range of statutory bars including political offence and human rights grounds. For more on the pair-jurisdiction interaction between the Caribbean and the US, see our analysis of Antigua–USA extradition.
Why Caribbean Jurisdictions Face Heavy US Extradition Pressure
The United States maintains an active extradition programme across the Caribbean for several reasons. Narcotics trafficking organisations historically operating out of Caribbean corridors have been targets of sustained US federal prosecution. The Caribbean’s role as a financial services hub — with offshore banking, company formation, and investment structures — has created exposure to US money laundering and fraud charges. The prevalence of citizenship-by-investment programmes in several islands creates a specific risk profile: individuals who hold second passports from CBI-offering Caribbean states are still subject to US extradition if the relevant island has a treaty with the US.
The Dominican Republic represents perhaps the most active Caribbean extradition corridor. Dominican courts have cooperated extensively with US extradition requests, and high-profile narcotics defendants have been surrendered to the US from Dominican territory. INTERPOL Red Notices circulate actively through Dominican border systems. The Red Notice is commonly used as the basis for provisional arrest in Dominican Republic pending the formal US extradition request.
Financial Crime and Beneficial Ownership: The US Caribbean Prosecution Pattern
Beyond narcotics, a significant portion of US extradition requests to Caribbean states involve financial crime: wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, and violations of US beneficial ownership disclosure requirements. Individuals who structured Caribbean entities to obscure beneficial ownership from US tax or anti-money laundering obligations have faced US federal indictments and subsequent extradition requests to their country of residence or nationality.
The pattern involves: a US grand jury indictment under seal; a Red Notice through INTERPOL; provisional arrest in a Caribbean state with a US treaty; formal extradition request submitted through diplomatic channels; and proceedings before the relevant Caribbean court (ECSC, Jamaican courts, Dominican courts depending on location). Where the Caribbean state has a long-standing relationship with the US — as Jamaica and Barbados do — surrender has followed in most cases where dual criminality and evidence standards were met.
Challenging the Red Notice through the CCF at the outset removes one mechanism of enforcement and creates procedural time while the extradition request is processed. Early legal advice is essential, particularly given the relatively short periods for provisional arrest in most Caribbean treaty frameworks.
Defending Against Extradition in Caribbean Jurisdictions
Our legal team advises on Caribbean extradition cases by first identifying the specific jurisdiction — the procedural rules and available defences differ materially between Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, and the ECSC states. Key defence grounds across Caribbean jurisdictions include: dual criminality failure (particularly in financial crime cases where the US charges may not map directly to local law); inadequate evidence (prima facie standards apply in Commonwealth Caribbean states); human rights grounds under constitutional rights provisions; and, in CBI-passport cases, the impact of extradition on the individual’s status and rights as a citizen of the island state.
We also advise on the international extradition dimension — where the person holds citizenship or residence in a Caribbean state with a US treaty, and is also considering movement to or from non-treaty jurisdictions. Travel planning in the Caribbean context requires careful legal assessment given the sharp differences in treaty status across the island arc.
Facing extradition risk in the Caribbean? Contact our team for a confidential assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions: Extradition in the Caribbean
Does the Dominican Republic extradite to the United States?
Yes. The Dominican Republic and the United States operate under an extradition treaty (originally 1909, active). Dominican courts have cooperated extensively with US extradition requests, including in narcotics cases involving major trafficking organisations. High-profile surrenders from Dominican territory to the US have occurred regularly. The Dominican constitution bars extradition of Dominican nationals, but this has not consistently blocked US requests for Dominican nationals in practice.
Does having a Caribbean CBI passport protect me from extradition?
No. A citizenship-by-investment passport from a Caribbean state does not protect the holder from extradition if the island state has an extradition treaty with the requesting country. For example, Antigua and Barbuda has a CBI programme and a US extradition treaty — an Antiguan CBI citizen can be extradited to the US from Antigua. Some islands, including Dominica and St Kitts, have CBI programmes but no US extradition treaty, creating a different risk profile.
Which Caribbean countries do NOT have extradition treaties with the United States?
Caribbean states without formal US extradition treaties include Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, and several smaller territories. However, the absence of a treaty does not guarantee non-cooperation: the US may use immigration removal or informal cooperation mechanisms, and INTERPOL Red Notices circulate through all INTERPOL member states regardless of treaty status.
Can I be arrested in Jamaica based on a US extradition request?
Yes. Jamaica has an extradition treaty with the United States (1983). US extradition requests are processed through Jamaican courts applying dual criminality and prima facie evidence standards. Jamaican authorities have cooperated with US requests in narcotics, fraud, and other cases. INTERPOL Red Notices circulate through Jamaican border systems.
How does the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court handle extradition cases?
The Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) has jurisdiction over extradition matters in several island states including Antigua and Barbuda, St Lucia, Grenada, and others. It applies Commonwealth common law principles: dual criminality, prima facie evidence, and statutory bars including political offence and human rights grounds. Its decisions are subject to appeal to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council in London.
