The Caribbean Gang Problem

LinkedIn: Addressing Gang Violence in the Antigua and Barbuda: A Blueprint for the Caribbean 

When most people think of the Caribbean, they often picture luxurious beaches and scenic mountains, perfect for a family vacation. However, underneath what appears to be islands full of rich ecosystems and culture, lies a deeper problem in the rapid spread of gangs across the region. Violence has skyrocketed as of 2025, with Haiti having a 78.9 crime index, followed by Trinidad at 70.9 and Jamaica at 67.4 (measured on a scale of 0-100). Gangs fight to control huge swaths of territory, and innocent civilians are caught in the crossfire as governments fail to protect them properly. Gangs are an issue of governance, and in order to protect their citizens, North American nations must form a united plan to implement effective governmental policies.

Since the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021, Haiti and its government have collapsed. An attempt to establish a nine-member council to provide stability until the next election failed on account of multiple charges of corruption. Without any clear power structure present, gangs were able to roam freely, competing with each other to secure as much influence as possible. By 2023, gangs had taken huge swaths of the capital of Port Au Prince. Since then, these gangs have induced mass killings that have significantly affected the community, claiming around 1,000 lives since October 2024 and a record displacement of 1.3 million Haitians. Those who remain in Haiti are subject to brutal cruelty such as rape, stabbing, and kidnappings, to name a few. Now the violence has begun to spread outside of the capital, destroying vital infrastructures such as hospitals, apartments, and schools. Haiti’s gang problem shows no signs of ending, and it is rapidly becoming one of the biggest humanitarian crises faced.

While Haiti has been the most notable example of the rise in gang violence, other Caribbean islands have been subjected to similar fates. In Trinidad, gang-related violence comprised 40% of total murders within the region in 2024, leading to heavy criticism of the government, which has failed to act effectively. States of emergencies were also implemented in Trinidad as well as Jamaica within the last year due to persistent gang violence, in which police were granted the right to search and seize assets to aid in the peace-keeping process. Jamaica, specifically, has one of the highest levels of gang fragmentation, creating more volatile factions that rival those seen in Haiti. Police often engage in brutal conflicts with gangs, creating immense pressure. Puerto Rico has also been notorious for their gang presence, with clashes between gangs rising substantially to exceed last year's levels due to the rivalry between Los Viraos and El Burro. These gangs have even been labeled as transnational criminal groups by the Jamaican prime minister, Andrew Holness, who publicly stated that Trinidad gangs may have links to Jamaican ones. This ongoing transnational gang violence threatens the lives of innocent citizens, as one in ten children experience sexual abuse in Trinidad, and women continue to be subjected to domestic violence. With so many nations already being affected by the brutality of gangs, it is important to mitigate the issues as soon as possible, or fear other nations such as Grenada or Barbados becoming absorbed with gang violence. 

When examining these Caribbean islands and their high rate of gang violence, there are a few common trends. Many of these nations, such as Trinidad and Haiti, have governments that suffer from a weak executive branch due to significant corruption and inefficiency. A weak central government results in weak institutions that fail to enforce the law, allowing gangs to roam around freely with very little resistance. When conflict arises, gangs are often more coordinated than official government responses because of a greater sense of unity. These Caribbean islands also heavily suffer from poverty and inequality, compounded by the ineffectiveness of the government in remedying these issues. Gangs take advantage of the socioeconomic gap, providing relief to those subjected to poverty in the form of food, water, clothes, and money. The result is people residing in those towns pledging loyalty to respective gangs because they have improved their lives, legitimizing themselves over the government. Finally, all these Caribbean nations are geographically trapped between the U.S. and Latin American illegal drug trafficking routes. Gangs smuggle drugs illegally into these Caribbean islands, selling to the U.S. in exchange for firearms. In nations such as Trinidad and Haiti, the illegal U.S. firearm market has yielded significant money for these gangs to help claim territory, leading to high murder rates that directly correlate with gun trafficking.

To help mitigate the violence of gangs, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) should coordinate a united policy with the U.S. This idea has already been presented at the Caricom Summit in July, with the St Kitts and Nevis prime minister, Terrance Drew, stressing the necessity of “the coordination of all of the member states.” The first act of Caricom should be to work with the US to negotiate for better security over gun trafficking, with the U.S. imposing much stricter policies and control when it comes to illegal drug and firearm trade, considering most of it goes to Caribbean gangs. Secondly, Caricom should look to break up the international connectivity of these gangs. This could be done through establishing a border task force, negotiating agreements on persecuting criminals if they flee to another island, and increasing funding for information centers. Thirdly, Caricom and the U.S. should provide some funding to Caribbean nations such as Trinidad and Haiti, which have severe issues of poverty. Providing some relief for these vulnerable communities decreases the likelihood that citizens will rely on gangs for survival. 

Gang violence can be solved, as seen recently, where Jamaica, despite having high crime rates, decreased its murder rate by 40% for the first 5 months of 2025 by integrating new technology into law enforcement operations. Therefore, to ensure stability in the Caribbean, the issue of gang violence must be solved sooner rather than later.