Return of U.S. justice experts signals continued support for SPAK under Trump administration

The recent return of OPDAT legal experts to Albania’s Special Anti-Corruption Structure (SPAK) and FBI advisers to the National Bureau of Investigation (BKH) confirms that the U.S. remains committed to Albania’s justice reform—despite earlier speculation that President Donald Trump’s administration might abandon the project.

Why is this important: With the start of Trump’s second term, figures in Albania’s political opposition—most notably former Prime Minister Sali Berisha—had claimed that the U.S. would pull back support from the reform. Berisha, who has been declared “non grata” by the U.S. State Department for alleged corruption, has repeatedly framed the justice reform as a “Soros project” and argued that a Trump administration would distance itself from it. He has also insisted that his U.S. designation would soon be revoked.

Context: The return of U.S. experts has undercut that narrative. According to a written statement from the U.S. Embassy in Tirana, the decision reflects an assessment that support for SPAK and BKH aligns with American national interests.

“In accordance with President Trump’s Executive Order of January 20 on the reassessment and reorganization of U.S. foreign assistance, Secretary Rubio launched a review of all U.S. foreign aid to ensure that programs are efficient and aligned with U.S. foreign policy under the ‘America First’ agenda. Some programs deemed essential to U.S. national interests have resumed, while the review of foreign assistance is still ongoing,” the Embassy told Top Channel.

The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) is part of the U.S. Department of Justice. It provides legal advisors and technical support to help build rule-of-law institutions in partner countries. In Albania, OPDAT has worked closely with SPAK to train prosecutors and strengthen their capacity to tackle corruption and organized crime.

This is the first formal comment from the U.S. Embassy in Tirana since Trump’s re-election and puts to rest claims that American assistance to Albania’s justice reform had ended. While other aid programs remain under review, support for SPAK and BKH has officially resumed.

What else: The justice reform, strongly backed by the U.S. and EU, is widely seen as the backbone of Albania’s efforts to fight entrenched corruption and fulfill key conditions for EU accession. The continued presence of U.S. legal and investigative personnel signals that this commitment remains unchanged, even under the new political leadership in Washington.