Which Caribbean islands are most affected by drug trafficking?
Executive summary
Caribbean routes and ports tied to Venezuela — notably Margarita Island and waters off Venezuela — have been the focal point of recent U.S. military counternarcotics activity, with U.S. strikes in the Caribbean killing dozens and prompting an expanded naval deployment [1] [2]. The U.S. has deployed carrier strike groups, a new joint task force and Operation Southern Spear to target maritime trafficking in the Caribbean while some reporting says many seizures and strikes actually stem from Pacific/Colombian routes [3] [4] [5].
1. The hotspot: Venezuela’s Caribbean coast and Margarita Island
Reporting and regional analysis single out Venezuela’s northeastern coast and islands — including Margarita Island — as strategic transshipment hubs for cocaine bound for Europe and the wider Caribbean; InsightCrime says Margarita has long served as a “backdoor to Europe” and that recent U.S. operations have focused on vessels operating out of that area [1]. U.S. strikes in the Caribbean have directly targeted boats off the Venezuelan coast, reinforcing the view among U.S. officials that parts of Venezuela’s maritime zone are heavily used by traffickers [3] [6].
2. The U.S. response: ships, strikes and a new task force
Since August–November 2025 the United States significantly increased its military presence in the southern Caribbean, deploying aircraft carriers, warships, drones and forming a new counternarcotics joint task force (Operation Southern Spear) aimed at crushing cartels and striking suspected drug vessels [3] [4]. Officials report dozens of strikes have destroyed vessels and killed many people — figures in reporting cite roughly 19–21 strikes and death tolls in the 70–83 range as of mid/late November 2025 [5] [2] [1].
3. Why the Caribbean — and why Venezuela figures prominently
Defense officials and U.S. media point to trafficking lanes that move South American cocaine through Venezuelan waters into the Caribbean as part of the reason for the buildup [3] [5]. U.S. authorities have publicly accused elements linked to Venezuela’s state apparatus (e.g., so-called Cartel of the Suns) of involvement; that framing underpins the choice of Caribbean maritime areas as operational focus [3].
4. Competing geography: Caribbean versus Eastern Pacific routes
Several outlets note a competing view: U.S. intelligence and some analysts conclude that the bulk of cocaine moving toward the United States uses Pacific routes via Colombia and Mexico rather than Caribbean-to-U.S. lanes, which suggests the Caribbean campaign is more aimed at trafficking to Europe or at political targets than at the primary U.S.-bound flow [5] [7]. CNN reported the Pentagon shifted some strikes toward the eastern Pacific because it believed stronger evidence tied Pacific routes to cocaine destined for the U.S. [5].
5. Local and regional reactions: cooperation, criticism, and risk
Some Caribbean governments have cooperated — for example, the Dominican Republic granted U.S. access to restricted areas to help combat trafficking — while regional critics argue U.S. military strikes risk sovereignty questions and regional instability [8] [9]. France and other partners are engaging through law enforcement and diplomatic channels even as the U.S. pursues military options [10] [1].
6. Humanitarian and legal flashpoints
Journalists and officials have raised concerns about intelligence quality, collateral harm, and legal justification for strikes: reporting shows the U.S. sometimes relies on imperfect intelligence and that lethal maritime strikes remove opportunities to collect evidence or question low-level couriers [11]. International criticism has also described strikes as potentially violating international law and contributing to instability [9] [12].
7. What “most affected” means — transit, production, enforcement impact
Available sources present multiple measures: islands and coastal zones most implicated are transit hubs (Venezuela/Margarita Island), but enforcement impact concentrates where U.S. assets are based (Puerto Rico, the southern Caribbean) and where partner states allow access (Dominican Republic) [1] [8] [5]. The reporting does not produce a ranked list of islands by volume of trafficking; it emphasizes strategic maritime corridors and points of origin rather than a neat island-by-island tally (not found in current reporting).
8. Takeaway and limits of current reporting
Current coverage makes clear that Venezuelan Caribbean waters and Margarita Island are central to recent trafficking-focused operations and U.S. military pressure [1] [3]. At the same time, major reporting notes that some of the largest flows to the U.S. travel the eastern Pacific — meaning Caribbean-focused strikes may address different trafficker networks or routes [5]. The sources do not provide comprehensive, quantitative rankings of Caribbean islands by trafficking volume; they document where operations and reporting concentrate and where policy conflicts and legal debates are most acute (not found in current reporting).