US questioned training of police involved in Tivoli incursion

Following allegations that members of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) had killed unarmed men in Tivoli Gardens during the May 2010 incursion, United States officials questioned whether they had received training from the US.

This is revealed in email correspondence between US officials in the days following the incursion.

The emails were obtained from the US State Department and made public by US journalist Mattathias Shwartz.

In one of the emails, an official stated that the US was trying to get the names of those members of the JCF who could possibly be under investigation.

The official added that she did not think they would receive the names "this early in the game"    

The official went on to say that  once the names were released they would be run through the US database and from there they could identify whether the unit or individual was trained by the US.

In the meantime, the US also provided protective gear, such as body armour and other equipment for both the JDF and JCF worth over J$500-thousand in the days after the incursion.

Documents from the US Southern Command also suggest that U.S. special forces were deployed in Jamaica during the operation to arrest Christopher "Dudus" Coke.

The documents suggest that the special forces were monitoring developments on the ground and regularly reporting back to Southern Command. The documents, large portions of which were deleted do not indicate whether the soldiers participated in the operations.