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A major driving force behind the rampant gang violence is the drug trade, particularly cocaine and cannabis trafficking. The Caribbean's strategic location has made it a significant transit route for drugs from South America to the United States. Efforts to combat drug trafficking, particularly by U.S. forces in the late 1980s and 1990s, inadvertently pushed traffickers back to Caribbean routes, where drug trade flourished again.
By 2020, up to 24% of cocaine movement in the Western Hemisphere was reportedly funneled through the Caribbean, significantly impacting gang dynamics and sending violence spiraling further.