Source Countries and
Drug Transit Zones: The Caribbean
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The Caribbean, considered a natural bridge between North and South America, serves as a transshipment region for drugs destined for U.S., African, and European markets. Its strategic location and hundreds of islands and cays, combined with a large volume of both commercial and non-commercial air/maritime movement, makes the Caribbean an attractive region for drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) seeking to conceal their illicit activities.
To counter this threat, the United States Government seeks to dismantle DTOs operating throughout the region and stem the flow of illegal drugs, while expanding the level of cooperation with partner nations (through security cooperation initiatives and joint/combined operations) in order to strengthen law enforcement and judicial institutions, combat money laundering and corruption, and reduce violence in general.
In 2007, interdiction efforts throughout the Caribbean and other transit zone areas complemented efforts in the source zone, in Mexico, on the Southwest Border, and in the United States to create an unprecedented disruption in the U.S. cocaine market identified through analyses of drug price, drug purity, and other data.
For detailed reports on the drug trafficking situation in Caribbean countries please refer to the Caribbean section of the State Department's International Narcotics Control Strategy Report.
