Last month, a U.S. military airstrike near the Dominican Republic’s southern coast targeted a speedboat, tragically killing three individuals on board. The impact scattered over 375 packages of cocaine across the Caribbean Sea, according to Dominican authorities.
Among the debris, numerous packages, distinctly marked in red with the brand name ‘MEN’ in black and white, were captured in photographs released by the Dominican anti-narcotics agency.
The 1,000 kilograms of cocaine salvaged from the incident contributed to the Dominican Republic’s impressive seizure total of nearly 19,000 kilograms since January, a record year even before the increased presence of U.S. warships.
The Trump administration, citing a campaign against what it labels ‘narco-terrorist’ cartels, has been systematically destroying drug speedboats in the Caribbean. This aggressive stance highlights a long-standing illicit industry that funnels immense quantities of cocaine into the U.S. annually.
While once the primary conduit for drugs, people, and weapons in the 1980s—a period immortalized by shows like “Miami Vice” depicting Colombian cartels’ operations into South Florida—the Caribbean is no longer the dominant drug trafficking route it once was.
However, evolving enforcement tactics have seen the region periodically resurface as a favored pathway for illegal shipments, particularly for cocaine heading to Europe, where both demand and prices command a premium.
Contrary to the Trump administration’s narrative of the Caribbean and Venezuela being primary sources of drugs causing American fatalities, official data from the U.S. and United Nations reveals that most maritime drug trafficking destined for the United States actually transpires in the Pacific.
Nevertheless, experts acknowledge the Caribbean’s enduring significance as a vital transit point for Colombian cocaine, with some quantities moving through Venezuela. Notably, the region is not a route for fentanyl, a substance that was a major concern for President Trump prior to the boat interdictions.
Dramatic video footage released by the Dominican anti-narcotics agency showcases the cocaine retrieved from the wreckage of a speedboat. This boat was struck by the U.S. military last month as it neared the Dominican Republic’s southern coast, an operation that resulted in three deaths.
As the Trump administration tightens control over the U.S. southern border and deploys substantial military resources to the Caribbean, drug traffickers are innovating new methods to move cocaine—Colombia’s largest export—to eager markets worldwide, according to insights from experts and law enforcement.
Traditionally, narcotics travel from Colombia to Caribbean nations like Trinidad, the Dominican Republic, and Jamaica. There, they undergo repackaging and preparation for onward shipment. Depending on the cartel, drugs might be moved between several islands before being loaded onto high-speed boats or concealed within large container ships bound for their ultimate destination.
A growing trend sees smugglers utilizing legitimate cargo vessels in the Caribbean to mask their illicit cargo. Experts note that this tactic makes detection especially challenging, as drugs are cleverly hidden among legal shipments of goods like fresh produce.
In Trinidad and Tobago, the Trump administration’s increased enforcement has triggered a marked rise in illegal flights from South America. These flights drop drug bales into the sea for collection by larger vessels, an anti-narcotics official revealed, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Across the wider Caribbean, the increased presence of U.S. warships has yielded mixed results.
For instance, in the Dominican Republic, a senior government official, preferring to remain anonymous, noted a dramatic reduction in observed drug boats.
Meanwhile, Jamaican anti-narcotics authorities report that drug dealers are now transporting smaller shipments, a strategy to minimize financial losses should their cargo be seized.
Patrae Rowe, head of Jamaica’s Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division, confirmed this shift: “We are observing changes in their methods. More discreet approaches are being employed to move drugs,” he stated, citing examples like concealing narcotics within food consignments.
One undeniable fact stands out: the global cocaine supply is at an unprecedented high. The U.S. Coast Guard’s seizures on the high seas reached nearly 175,000 kilograms (approximately 193 tons) in the fiscal year ending September, a staggering figure more than double the previous year. A significant portion—around 64 tons—was intercepted in the Caribbean alone.
The Coast Guard, primarily focused on intercepting smuggling vessels, seizing illicit cargo, and apprehending suspects, emphasized that its main enforcement efforts continue to be in the Pacific. They declined to provide further comment for this report.
Mr. Rowe also highlighted a consistent increase in cocaine seizures in Jamaica over the past five years, noting that over 2,508 kilograms were confiscated in 2024, largely attributed to one major smuggling operation.
During the 1980s, the Caribbean served as the principal entry point for drugs into the United States. Powerful Colombian drug lords, such as Pablo Escobar, orchestrated intricate trafficking networks, overseeing every stage from coca cultivation to the high-speed boat deliveries of cocaine to Miami.
This dynamic underwent a significant change roughly two decades ago when cocaine distribution predominantly shifted to overland routes through Mexico. However, enhanced counternarcotics efforts in Mexico have, in recent years, redirected some of that trafficking back to the Caribbean, experts indicate.
The surge in global cocaine production and escalating worldwide demand have prompted traffickers to target more lucrative overseas markets. This has amplified the Caribbean’s role as a transit hub for drugs heading to destinations like Rotterdam—Europe’s busiest port—and as far-flung as Australia and South Africa.
Additionally, cartels have strategically fragmented their operations, delegating tasks like cultivation, storage, and transport to a web of interconnected groups. This decentralization complicates efforts to dismantle entire smuggling networks.
For instance, local drug figures in Trinidad are now reportedly responsible for managing logistics and security, according to the anonymous anti-narcotics official.
With eight U.S. Navy warships patrolling the Caribbean, authorities have observed a significant spike in unauthorized flights departing Colombia for various islands. What once might have been five illegal flights in a morning now numbers around 15, the official noted.
These airborne deliveries frequently involve dropping drugs into the ocean, where they are then collected by yachts or commercial cargo ships—vessels too large for U.S. forces to target directly, the official explained.
Recent weeks have seen cocaine bales, equipped with ropes and hooks, washing ashore in Trinidad and other islands. This packaging strongly suggests they were meant for underwater retrieval, the official indicated.
In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, multiple large cocaine packages were found recently. Some were notably wrapped in white tarpaulins, bearing labels for ‘vitamin ingredients’ and marked ‘Industria Colombiana.’
Since early September, the Trump administration has confirmed the destruction of at least five go-fast boats and the deaths of 27 individuals. Without providing concrete evidence, administration officials asserted these operations targeted ‘narco-terrorists’ endangering U.S. security. Legal experts, however, largely contend these attacks contravene international law.
The military strikes were defended by the administration as a response to the alarming rise in U.S. overdose deaths. Yet, the majority of these fatalities are linked to fentanyl, a drug not transported via Caribbean routes.
The initial boat destruction, reported on September 2nd, occurred near Trinidad. A subsequent vessel was targeted on September 19th, approximately 80 miles south of Isla Beata in the Dominican Republic, in what was characterized as a collaborative U.S. and Dominican operation.
The Dominican Republic is widely recognized as a significant transshipment hub for drugs, with the bulk of narcotics moving through its commercial ports.
According to the Dominican Foreign Ministry, nearly 225,000 kilograms (248 tons) of drugs have been confiscated over the last five years.
Estimates vary regarding the proportion of U.S.-bound cocaine transported through the Caribbean, with some experts suggesting it could be as low as 10 percent.
Lilian Bobea, a sociologist from Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts specializing in the illegal drug trade, attributes the Caribbean’s renewed importance to increased U.S. pressure on Mexico and a rise in global drug consumption.
A kilogram of cocaine in the Caribbean typically fetches around $3,000. Early assessments indicate that the Trump administration’s military surge in the area is driving prices upward, though experts predict the full impact won’t be clear for several months.
Despite these efforts, experts generally agree that U.S. naval operations will likely have minimal long-term impact on what remains an exceptionally profitable illicit market.
Alberto Arean Varela, a regional coordinator for the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, stated, “There is an overproduction of cocaine in the producing countries. There’s more to smuggle.”
He concluded with a sobering thought: “We cannot stop using drugs.”
Additional reporting for this article was provided by Prior Beharry from Port of Spain, Trinidad.