The United States and Bolivia signed a bilateral agreement on June 16, 2026, to combat drug trafficking—the first such deal in nearly two decades, according to the U.S. Embassy in La Paz.
A Shift in Bilateral Relations
Under the agreement, Washington will provide training, equipment, and other forms of support to Bolivian law enforcement agencies to strengthen investigations, dismantle drug trafficking networks, prosecute financial crimes, and improve transparency within Bolivia’s police and judicial systems.
The pact marks a sharp departure from past tensions. In 2008, then-President Evo Morales—whose administration governed Bolivia for two decades—severed diplomatic ties with the U.S. and expelled the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) from the country. Bolivia is the world’s third-largest producer of cocaine.
New Strategic Commitments
The current center-right administration of President Rodrigo Paz has pursued a dramatic foreign policy realignment, seeking closer cooperation with the U.S. and international financial institutions after two decades of socialist-led governance.
The U.S. State Department’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) will oversee implementation of the initiative, backed by a $20 million commitment from Washington.
While both countries have expressed intent to fully restore high-level diplomatic relations, they have not yet appointed or exchanged ambassadors. The DEA has not officially reopened its office in Bolivia—but La Paz confirmed that the agency is currently cooperating with Bolivian authorities.
Earlier this year, Bolivia joined the Trump administration’s ‘Shield of the Americas’ initiative, aimed at countering drug trafficking and transnational organized crime.