External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar met with two top US intelligence officials – Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard – on Wednesday.
In a post on X, Jaishankar noted that he had a “good exchange on the global situation and bilateral cooperation” with Gabbard.
He also shared details of his meeting with Patel, stating, “Great to meet FBI Director Kash Patel. Appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organised crime, drug trafficking and terrorism.”
Counterterrorism remains a key area of collaboration between India and the United States. Following the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, both countries signed the India-US Counterterrorism Initiative in 2010. This cooperation has expanded over the years through frameworks such as the India-US Working Group on Counterterrorism and the US-India Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue, which work to identify terrorists and affiliated organisations globally.
For the US, combating drug smuggling continues to be a major focus – particularly under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
Coinciding with Jaishankar’s meetings in Washington, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in India announced a major crackdown on a transnational drug-smuggling network operating between India and the US.
According to the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), intelligence shared by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led to the arrest of a key figure in the network by the US Drug Enforcement Administration (USDEA).
“Joel Hall, a major re-shipper based in Alabama, was arrested following a coordinated operation, which led to the seizure of more than 17,000 tablets of controlled medication,” the MHA said. It added that an Indian-American—identified as the network’s primary money launderer—is currently awaiting indictment.
On Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar also participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting alongside US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya.
In addition to his meetings with Gabbard and Patel, Jaishankar held bilateral discussions with several senior US officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, focusing on key areas of India-US cooperation.
(With inputs from IANS)
