As the Southern Caribbean becomes increasingly central to global smuggling networks and in a historic demonstration of cross-continental cooperation, a new analysis study has been launched titled: “Criminal Networks and Routes from the Caribbean to Europe: A Deep-Dive into Cocaine Trafficking and Other Illicit Activities”.

Amidst a shifting landscape of global illicit trade, this study led by the European Union (EU)-funded programme EL PACCTO 2.0 and InSight Crime, and with strategic inputs from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), the EU EMPACT’s Most Threatening Criminal Networks and Individuals (MTCNI - EMPACT), the European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders (FRONTEX) and the General Prosecutor’s Office of France in Martinique, represents the first time such a vast number of international institutions have coordinated to map the specific routes, modus operandi and polycriminal nature of networks operating in the Caribbean Region.

This landmark study provides an unprecedented look at the Caribbean’s escalating role as a primary pivot point in the global supply chain for illicit goods, with a specific emphasis on the surging flow of narcotics toward European markets. It moves beyond traditional drug trafficking analysis to examine the "Southern Corridor", specifically Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana, as a strategic theater for global illicit supply chains. It highlights a dangerous convergence where the same networks trafficking cocaine to European ports are increasingly involved in environmental crimes, illegal firearms smuggling and sophisticated money laundering.

Furthermore, it highlights significant maritime and digital vulnerabilities, meticulously mapping a smuggling pipeline that stretches from the secluded, quiet marinas of the Caribbean islands to the massive, high-volume container terminals of Europe. Addressing these physical and digital gaps remains difficult due to persistent legal and resource gaps. Security forces are currently tasked with navigating a fragmented landscape of differing legal systems while lacking the necessary assets to effectively patrol and monitor a maritime territory that spans an area equivalent to over half of the EU.

Speaking at the launch, which was held on 2 March 2026, at CARICOM IMPACS’ headquarters in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director, CARICOM IMPACS, stated that the deep-dive study into cocaine trafficking and its associated illicit activities reveals a landscape that is increasingly complex and dangerously fluid.

"For too long, our understanding of the illicit corridors connecting the Caribbean to Europe has been framed by fragments of data. Today, we change that narrative. We are moving from a posture of reactive defense to one of proactive, intelligence-led disruption. These networks do not merely move product, they erode the rule of law and destabilise our economies. This study is a tactical blueprint to identify the bottlenecks in criminal operations and unmask vessels of interest long before they reach our shores", he explained.

Mr. Marc Reina Tortosa, Senior Executive Manager, EL PACCTO 2.0, provided a stark analysis of this evolving ecosystem stating that the Caribbean has become a pivotal bridge between Latin American cocaine production and Europe’s expanding consumer market. “We are not seeing large, rigid cartels, but rather fluid, transactional networks where European and Western Balkan brokers act as the invisible architects of the trade. The Caribbean offers these traffickers unique diversification, when maritime pressure increases, they pivot to aerial routes or riverine systems connecting the Amazon to the Atlantic", he explained.

Adding that the study presents a well-identified pattern that demands immediate address - a cocaine pipeline that thrives as much on systemic corruption as it does on global demand Mr. Tortosa lamented: “Furthermore, the polycriminal dimension is undeniable; in Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana, drug trafficking intersects with environmental crimes such as illegal gold mining. Our response must move beyond rhetoric toward shared responsibility, addressing consumption and financial flows within Europe itself, as these are the forces destabilising communities thousands of kilometers away”.

Mr. Patrice Camberou, Attorney General of the Court of Appeal of Fort-de-France, Martinique, shared some views on the specific criminal dynamics within the EU's overseas territories and the challenges of prosecuting transnational networks from a French Caribbean perspective. “We are navigating a complex judicial frontier where the EU’s borders exist physically within the heart of the Americas. These criminal dynamics require a level of judicial cooperation that transcends traditional diplomatic channels. We must harmonise our prosecutorial strategies with our CARICOM and South American partners to ensure that no jurisdictional gap becomes a safe haven for transnational organised crime", he urged.

Ms. Evelina Melbarzde, Deputy Head of Mission, Delegation of the European Union to Trinidad and Tobago, noted that this study is a solid document upon which countries and institutions can base their joint work. “For the first time, European agencies like FRONTEX and EU-funded initiatives like EL PACCTO 2.0 have joined forces with CARICOM IMPACS and civil society to shed light on these dynamics. Our citizens expect tangible returns from the seizure of drugs, the confiscation of weapons, and the dismantling of networks that spread violence. With the new EMPACT 2026–2029 cycle, we are rising to these challenges, embedding the Caribbean into our security DNA", she advised.

The partners emphasised that the study should be viewed not as a final report, but as a "living instrument of change" designed to evolve alongside the shifting tactics of organised crime. To ensure the study’s findings translate into long-term security, the partners called for sustained funding to increase support for maritime patrols and modernised port security. Additionally, they stressed the necessity of a seamless exchange of information to break down existing jurisdictional silos between CARICOM and European counterparts. Ultimately, the objective is to establish a model of borderless cooperation, matching the inherent agility of criminal networks with equally fluid international legal and intelligence frameworks that ensure no territory remains a safe haven for illicit activity.

Criminal Networks and Routes from the Caribbean to Europe: A Deep-Dive into Cocaine Trafficking and Other Illicit Activities – is available for download at:https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18385156