In recent years, Haiti has made headlines for unprecedented levels of gang violence, with gangs increasingly challenging state authorities and expanding their grip over the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area and beyond, which exerts a heavy toll on civilians. Yet, this worsening security situation is not confined to Haiti; other countries and territories in the Caribbean, particularly Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago, have experienced a surge in gang violence amid their fragmented and volatile gang landscapes.
Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago face surging violence
Rivalries over criminal activities in the Caribbean are fueled by weapons proliferation and transnational drug trafficking, leaving civilians caught in the crosshairs. This violence has placed these territories on ACLED’s Conflict Index, which lists Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago as experiencing high conflict levels and Puerto Rico as experiencing turbulent conflict levels. Despite various crime-reduction measures taken by the respective states, lasting results have yet to be achieved. As elections are expected to take place in Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in 2025, ensuring security will be crucial to protecting democratic processes from gang influence.
Jamaica
Sustained high levels of fragmentation
Jamaica’s gang landscape has become increasingly fragmented as the splintering of the Shower Posse and Clansman gangs has given rise to smaller, more volatile factions. While the government reported a 14.5% decline in murder rates between January and June 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, and a 56% reduction in the number of active gangs in May 2024 compared to the start of the year, Jamaica still faces one of the highest levels of gang fragmentation in the region according to ACLED data.
35%
of the population is exposed to violence
(over 1,000,000 people)
Puerto Rico
Increase in clashes between gangs
While overall gang-related violence in 2024 is similar to 2023 levels as of September, clashes between gangs have already exceeded last year’s levels with at least 41 events compared to 23 during the first nine months of 2023. This increase is notably driven by the rivalry between Los Viraos and the gang led by Nelson Torres-Delgado, ‘El Burro, over control of drug trafficking routes in Caguas, Cayey, Cidra, and Aibonito areas.
52%
of the population is exposed to violence
(over 1,700,000 people)
Trinidad and Tobago
Ranking among the most severe in conflict diffusion
Gang-related violence has spread across Trinidad and Tobago. ACLED records events in a growing number of locations as gangs seek to diversify their criminal activities, resulting in the country ranking second for its geographic diffusion of conflict worldwide according to ACLED’s Conflict Index. As of September 2024, gang violence has already surpassed 2023 levels in Tobago, where the Sixx gang, one of the main gangs operating in the country, has established a foothold.
57%
of the population is exposed to violence
(over 875,000 people)
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Visuals produced by Ana Marco and Christina De Paris.
