Venezuela is becoming a strategic route for drug trafficking for new Caribbean pirates, according to an analysis that examines the resurgence of maritime routes, particularly Colombian cocaine, due to record increases in production and pressure on other land and air routes.
The article “The Caribbean Sea, Drug Trafficking, and the ‘New Pirates’,” authored by María Luisa Pastor Gómez, a former analyst at the Spanish Institute of Strategic Studies (IEEE) and ex-official of the Spanish State Administration, notes that historically, the Caribbean has been a hub for both legal and illegal trade. It outlines the evolution of drug routes from the 1980s, when Colombian cartels dominated, to the present, where Venezuela is gaining importance as a transit point due to its political and economic crisis.
The phenomenon of the “new pirates” is also discussed, who now intimidate local fishermen to clear maritime routes while detailing the geographic fragmentation of the Caribbean, which facilitates criminal activities and money laundering. The analysis describes security challenges and international cooperation initiatives led by the United States.
The analysis argues that Colombian cartels are ceding the U.S. market to Mexican ones, as Europe and other continents offer higher profits for drugs.
Resurgence of the Caribbean as a Drug Trafficking Route
The Caribbean Sea, historically a dominant drug trafficking route in the 1980s, is emerging as a key strategic corridor for cocaine transit to the United States and Europe. This resurgence is due to a convergence of factors:
- Pressure from authorities on Central American land routes and air routes to Honduras;
- Unprecedented increase in cocaine production in Colombia after the demobilization of the FARC; and
- Deep socio-economic and governance crisis in Venezuela, making it a permissive and strategic transshipment point.
This new scenario is causing piracy to return to the region, albeit in a new form: the “new pirates,” often locally recruited, attack artisanal fishermen under orders from drug trafficking organizations to clear maritime routes of witnesses.
The geopolitical fragmentation of the Caribbean, with its multitude of small sovereign states, dependent territories, and tax havens, offers unique operational advantages for organized crime. Despite international cooperation initiatives, the fight against drug trafficking faces enormous challenges due to the adaptability of cartels, endemic corruption, and the institutional weakness of many states in the region.
Future strategies must combine interdiction with a focus on dismantling the financial networks of organized crime and reducing long-term consumption demand.
Historical Evolution of Drug Trafficking Routes
The Caribbean Sea, historically a dominant drug trafficking route in the 1980s, is reviving as a strategic corridor for cocaine transit to the United States and Europe. This resurgence is due to multiple factors:
- Pressure from authorities on Central American land routes and air routes to Honduras;
- Unprecedented increases in cocaine production in Colombia due to the demobilization of the FARC; and
- Deep socio-economic and governance crises in Venezuela, which turned it into a permissive and strategic transshipment point.
This changing landscape has rekindled piracy in the region, but in a new form: the “new pirates” often recruit locally and attack artisanal fishermen under the direction of drug trafficking organizations to eliminate maritime witnesses.
The geopolitical fragmentation of the Caribbean, composed of numerous small sovereign states, dependent territories, and tax havens, provides unique operational advantages for organized crime. Despite international cooperation initiatives, the struggle against drug trafficking faces significant challenges due to the adaptive capacity of cartels, prevailing corruption, and the institutional weakness of many states in the region.
Future strategies need to blend interdiction efforts with an emphasis on dismantling the financial networks of organized crime and addressing long-term demand reduction for narcotics.
Current Dynamics of Drug Trafficking in Colombia
Colombia remains the world’s top producer of cocaine, having reached historic production levels feeding export routes.
Record Increase in Production
Between 2016 and 2017, cocaine production in Colombia surged by 25%, reaching a record high of 1976 tons, which accounts for about 70% of global production. This increase is attributed to two main factors:
- Suspension of aerial fumigations: In May 2015, the government halted coca crop aerial fumigations for public health reasons, eliminating a major deterrent for growers.
- FARC’s Strategy: With the impending peace agreement, the FARC promoted massive coca cultivation to amass capital before demobilization and to bolster their negotiating position with the government.
Post-FARC Fragmentation and the Mexican Role
The demobilization of the FARC in 2016 created a power vacuum in coca-growing territories. This void was quickly filled by various armed actors, including organized criminal groups, the ELN, and small cocaine trafficking groups known as “cartelitos.”
This fragmentation weakened the previously centralized production and export chain. Consequently, Mexican cartels, as the primary buyers, had to engage directly to secure supplies.
To ensure the movement of their merchandise, Mexican cartels, like Sinaloa, deployed personnel in Colombia to organize transport and subcontract local gangs, particularly in Colombian Caribbean cities to control export via their ports.
Reorientation of Markets
Colombian drug traffickers have adopted a lower profile and strategically ceded the tightly monitored U.S. market to Mexican cartels, instead focusing on more lucrative markets.
RegionPrice per Kilo of Cocaine (USD)
Colombia: USD 2000 – USD 3000
United States: USD 20,000 – USD 25,000
Europe: USD 35,000
China: USD 50,000
Australia: USD 100,000
This economic rationale explains the shift towards markets in Europe, Africa, and Asia that, according to the UNODC, are beginning to emerge as centers of trafficking and consumption.
Caribbean as a Strategic Setting for Drug Trafficking
The Caribbean has several structural advantages making it an ideal environment for transnational organized crime operations.
- Geopolitical Fragmentation: The region comprises 25 independent states and nearly 20 territories linked to extraregional powers, creating a complex jurisdictional mosaic that hampers coordinated enforcement.
- Geographic Diversity: With over 7000 islands, islets, and cays, many uninhabited or without effective state control (as seen in the case of the Bahamas), the region provides countless points for drug storage, transshipment, and reception.
- Multiple Sovereignty: The presence of U.S., French, Dutch, and British dependencies facilitates drug entry into destination countries by leveraging their administrative and customs connections.
U.S.FranceNetherlandsBritain
Puerto Rico
Guadeloupe
Aruba
Anguilla
U.S. Virgin Islands
French Guiana
Bonaire
Cayman Islands
Navassa Island
Martinique
Curacao
British Virgin Islands
Saint Martin (part)
Sint Eustatius
Montserrat
Saba Island
Turks and Caicos Islands
Saint Martin (part)
Tax Havens: The region includes various jurisdictions that enable money laundering. The European Union has identified Aruba, Bermuda, Dominica, Barbados, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago as tax havens.
Weak States: Many Caribbean nations lack the economic and technical means to effectively combat drug traffickers, who possess greater financial resources to acquire weapons and sophisticated technology.
The Venezuela Factor and Key Caribbean Routes
The multidimensional crisis in Venezuela has transformed the country into a key facilitator of drug trafficking in the region, activating the Caribbean maritime routes. It’s estimated that nearly 40% of Colombian cocaine is exported to the world from Venezuela.
Widespread corruption, the collapse of state oversight, and the economic despair of the population have created a conducive environment for criminal groups to operate with impunity.
Main Maritime Routes
The main maritime routes operating in the Caribbean include:
Direct Route (Colombia/Venezuela to Hispaniola):
Speedboats and commercial containers transport drugs to the Dominican Republic. This country is a strategic center due to its robust economy, high tourism volume, six commercial ports, and its role as a maritime transport hub, facilitating both transit and money laundering. From there, the drugs split:
- Towards the United States, via Puerto Rico (381 km away), entering the U.S. customs system directly.
- Towards Europe, primarily via Spain, taking advantage of air connectivity and cultural ties.
Indirect Route (Eastern Islands):
This route uses the Lesser Antilles archipelago as storage or transit points towards West Africa and Europe. Shipments are sent from specific territories depending on their destination:
- Towards continental Europe: from French territories like Martinique and Guadeloupe.
- Towards the UK: from British overseas territories like Anguilla or former colonies like Jamaica.
The Phenomenon of the “New Pirates”
The resurgence of narcotics trafficking in the Caribbean has brought about a new wave of piracy, different from the historic kind.
- Objective and Strategy: Unlike historical privateers, the “new pirates” do not raid large commercial vessels but attack local fishermen. Their main goal is to intimidate them to abandon fishing areas, thus clearing maritime routes of witnesses for narcotics operations.
- Origin and Recruitment: These groups operate in weak states and recruit locals pushed into crime due to economic despair. A notable case is the state of Sucre, Venezuela, located in the Gulf of Paria, only 10 miles from Trinidad. Sucre is the fifth most violent state in Venezuela, with a homicide rate of 97 per 100,000 inhabitants, directly linked to organized crime control over drug routes.
- Modus Operandi: The pirates, working for drug traffickers, utilize speedboats and superior weapons to attack their former colleagues, stealing engines and catches to assert dominance over the routes. In addition to drug trafficking, these gangs are involved in arms trafficking (such as AK-103 rifles stolen from Venezuelan arsenals) and smuggling basic goods.
International Response and Security Challenges
The transnational nature of narcotics trafficking necessitates strong international cooperation, though significant obstacles are faced in the fragmented Caribbean region.
Key Initiatives:
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC): maintains a regional office in Barbados that sponsors security programs.
- Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI): created in 2010 and led by the U.S., it is a partnership to assist member countries in reducing drug trafficking. Between 2010 and 2018, the U.S. committed over 556 million dollars through the CBSI. For the 2020 fiscal year, another 58 million dollars were approved to enhance maritime and port security.
Persistent Challenges:
- Regional Fragmentation: Historical difficulties in subregional integration impede a unified response.
- Corruption and Crime: The Caribbean has one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Endemic corruption and crime threaten governance and security.
- Cartel Power: Their economic capacity allows them to buy the allegiance of politicians, judges, and security forces, as well as silence media outlets.
Conclusions and Future Perspectives
The Caribbean route has once again solidified as a strategic alternative for global drug trafficking, driven by the overproduction of cocaine in Colombia and the state crisis in Venezuela. The cartels show a remarkable capacity for adaptation, exploiting the structural weaknesses of the region and consistently overcoming authorities’ efforts.
The result is a loss of territorial control by states, turning them into captives of drug trafficking power. The Venezuelan migration crisis exacerbates the situation by providing cheap labor for organized crime and destabilizing small host nations.
Looking ahead, there is concern that new territories, such as Cuba, might become drug trafficking enclaves once the current authoritarian regime falls.
To combat this threat, two-tier strategies are proposed:
- Long-term: focus more on reducing consumption through education and prevention campaigns, rather than solely on supply efforts.
- Short and medium term: address the economic rationale of organized crime. As Rafael Guarín Cotrino, presidential advisor for National Security in Colombia stated, it’s crucial to “intercept and strike at the underground economy networks, not just their actors, through coordinated transnational action in banking account investigation, border control, and cleaning and strengthening state institutions.”