Fiji, Oct. 21 -- The United States is bringing Pacific Islands police ministers and law enforcement leaders together to strengthen regional efforts against drug trafficking, cybercrime, illegal fishing and criminal networks operating across the Pacific Ocean.

The inaugural U.S-Pacific Islands Conference of Police Ministers (COPMIN), to be held in Los Angeles on 21-22 October, will focus on joint action against transnational crime, including narcotics trafficking, maritime security threats, online fraud and illicit financial networks.

The conference will bring together Pacific police ministers and law enforcement leaders, alongside counterparts from Ecuador and the Philippines, to address criminal networks exploiting the Pacific's vast m...