Washington– India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with two of the United States’ top intelligence officials—FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard—on Wednesday, as part of a broader diplomatic engagement focused on security, counterterrorism, and strategic cooperation.
Following his meeting with Gabbard, Jaishankar posted on social media platform X, describing it as a “good exchange on the global situation and our bilateral cooperation.”
He also expressed appreciation after meeting FBI Director Patel, writing, “Great to meet Director Patel. We appreciate our strong cooperation in countering organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism.”
Both Patel and Gabbard share Indian roots and Hindu heritage. Gabbard, a former U.S. Congresswoman from Hawaii, is known for her long-standing ties to India, while Patel is of Indian descent and has served in high-level national security roles.
Counterterrorism remains a top priority for India, especially amid concerns about terrorist sympathizers operating from countries like Canada and within North America. India and the U.S. have steadily expanded their counterterror cooperation since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, culminating in the India-U.S. Counterterrorism Initiative signed in 2010.
The two countries also maintain joint working groups such as the India-U.S. Working Group on Counterterrorism and the Counterterrorism Designations Dialogue, which focus on identifying and designating terrorist entities and individuals.
From the U.S. perspective, combating transnational drug trafficking is also a major priority, especially under the administration of President Donald Trump.
Jaishankar’s meetings followed a major announcement by India’s Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who revealed a successful joint operation targeting a transnational drug-smuggling network with connections to the U.S.
According to India’s Press Information Bureau, intelligence shared by India’s Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) led to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arresting Joel Hall, a major re-shipper based in Alabama. Authorities seized over 17,000 tablets of controlled substances, and an Indian-American money launderer linked to the network is currently awaiting indictment.
Jaishankar is in Washington to participate in the Quad Ministerial Meeting, where he joined U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya for high-level discussions on regional and global issues.
He also held bilateral meetings with other senior U.S. officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright, further deepening the strategic dialogue between India and the U.S. (Source: IANS)
