Jaishankar Meets Tulsi Gabbard, Kash Patel

WASHINGTON, D.C. (IANS)– External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar met with intelligence officials, FBI Director Kash Patel and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, on July 2 here

Following his meeting with Gabbard, Jaishankar posted on X that they had a “good exchange on the global situation and our bilateral cooperation.” He also took to X to express his appreciation for the “strong cooperation in countering organized crime, drug trafficking, and terrorism” after meeting Patel. Gabbard, from Hawaii, is a former member of Congress and a Hindu by faith, while Patel, also a Hindu, is of Indian descent.

Counterterrorism is a significant area of focus for India, with broad scope for cooperation with the US, including in North America, where supporters of terrorism are based in Canada

For the US, fighting drug-smuggling is a top priority under President Donald Trump. Before Jaishankar’s meetings, Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced a crackdown on a transnational drug-smuggling operation with ties to both India and the US.