PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – A new international study examining transnational organised crime in the Caribbean has highlighted the region’s increasing role as a key corridor for cocaine trafficking and other illicit activities between Latin America and Europe.
The study, titled “Criminal Networks and Routes from the Caribbean to Europe: A Deep-Dive into Cocaine Trafficking and Other Illicit Activities,” was launched earlier this month at the headquarters of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security.
The analysis was carried out under the European Union-funded programme EL PACCTO 2.0 in collaboration with InSight Crime and with support from several international agencies, including FRONTEX.
Researchers say the report is the first coordinated effort involving multiple international institutions to map the routes, methods, and networks used by criminal groups operating across the Caribbean and transporting illicit goods to Europe.
The study identifies the “Southern Corridor,” particularly Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, as a strategic hub for global criminal supply chains, especially cocaine trafficking.
According to the report, the same networks moving narcotics to European ports are increasingly involved in other crimes, including illegal firearms trafficking, environmental offences such as illegal gold mining, and sophisticated money-laundering operations.
Executive Director of CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, Michael Jones, said the study provides a clearer picture of how organised criminal networks operate in the region.
“For too long, our understanding of these illicit corridors has been limited. This study allows us to move from reacting to crime toward proactively disrupting these networks,” Jones said.
Officials also warned that security agencies face major challenges in monitoring vast maritime territories and in addressing legal gaps across the Caribbean, South America, and Europe.
Marc Reina Tortosa said the Caribbean has become a crucial bridge between cocaine-producing regions in Latin America and growing consumer markets in Europe.
He noted that trafficking networks are increasingly flexible, shifting between maritime, aerial, and river routes to avoid detection.
European Union officials said the report will help guide future cooperation between Caribbean and European agencies to strengthen border security, improve intelligence sharing, and disrupt criminal networks operating across the Atlantic.
The partners involved in the project say the study will serve as an evolving tool to help law enforcement agencies respond more effectively to changing organised crime tactics in the region.
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