Caribbean security forces are stepping up their efforts to combat organized crime, pivoting their strategy to strengthen forensic capabilities that enable evidence-based justice. This strategic progress is due largely thanks to sustained international cooperation, particularly, support from the United States and the European Union.
Strengthening justice through international partnerships
Nearly 40 senior officers from 10 Caribbean countries recently completed rigorous training in crime scene investigation as part of the Partnership of the Caribbean and the European Union Justice program. This initiative, known as PACE Justice, is a flagship regional criminal justice reform program funded by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The program aims to strengthen judicial systems and promote citizen-centered justice throughout the Caribbean.
The specialized crime scene investigation training took place in late 2025 at the Regional Security System (RSS) headquarters in Barbados. It was delivered by UNDP and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), in collaboration with the RSS and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training.
Previous assessments conducted by UNDP identified both crime scene management and evidence-based case development as critical areas for improving judicial systems in the Caribbean.
In response, the comprehensive workshop focused on refining advanced investigative strategies, strengthening evidence collection, forensic documentation, and the use of modern investigative tools.
“The structural conditions for this training and forensic improvement agenda to be sustainable over time must include legal reforms,” Dr. Randy Seppersad, an expert in organized crime and coordinator of the Criminology Unit at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago, told Diálogo. “There must be cooperation between prosecutors and police, information sharing between Caribbean countries, funding, [and] political will, among other things.”
“In general, in Caribbean countries, when you interact with law enforcement agencies, you find a lot of willingness and experience, but quite often, when we look at governments in general, that leadership, that drive, and that direction are often lacking,” he added.
Forensic excellence
The UNDP initiative is complemented by other major international efforts, particularly from the United States, focused on establishing long-term forensic capabilities. The United States, through the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL), provided substantial funding to boost the region’s technical capacity. This support includes a commitment of $2.2 million to strengthen forensic laboratories across the Eastern Caribbean, including Saint Lucia, the U.S. Embassy in Bridgetown indicated.
Following this investment, the INL designated the St. Lucia Forensic Science Laboratory as a Regional Center of Excellence. This recognition, formally announced in October 2023, acknowledges the lab’s status as a leading Caribbean forensic hub following its achievement of rigorous international accreditation.
Thanks to these efforts, the St. Lucia Forensic Science Laboratory received certification from the American Association for Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA). This achievement is significant, making it the first and only accredited forensic institution within the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States and the second in the entire Caribbean Community (CARICOM) region. Accreditation means that the lab meets the highest international standards for competence and quality assurance.
“The United States has long been the primary benefactor and supporter of the Caribbean region on crime and security issues, and Caribbean countries have always been very open to collaborating with the United States,” Seppersad said. “It is a fact that the United States is far ahead of the Caribbean in areas such as intelligence capabilities and technical capabilities.”
Response to a resurging criminal threat
The strengthening of forensic capabilities in the Caribbean is a direct response to the resurgence of organized crime in the region.
Vanessa Cárdenas, a researcher on organized crime at the Observatory of International Affairs at Finis Terrae University in Chile, explained the shifting drug routes. “The Caribbean, which was one of the traditional drug routes from Colombia to the United States in the days of Pablo Escobar, with both the Medellín and Cali cartels using Caribbean countries, then experienced a decline,” she said. “That decline occurred when increased U.S. patrols in the Caribbean strengthened the link between Colombian and Mexican cartels, prioritizing land routes through Central America.”
“Today, however, with the Pacific heavily patrolled and land routes also much more closely monitored, the Caribbean has once again become an attractive option,” Cárdenas added.
Reflecting this trend, the region has become a strategic passageway for drug smugglers, with the involvement of groups such as the Tren de Aragua.
This renewed threat prompted a strong hemispheric response, with partner nations rapidly aligning their efforts to combat narco-terrorism. Several countries in the region, including Argentina, Ecuador, and Trinidad and Tobago, moved to classify the Tren de Aragua and other transnational criminal organizations as terrorist threats.
Future of cooperation and enhanced surveillance
The ongoing professionalization of forensic science and strengthened international cooperation mark a turning point in the fight against organized crime in the Caribbean. While structural challenges remain, the region is determined to use evidence-based justice as an effective tool for long-term security and peace.
