According to the 2025 report from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, Puerto Rico has become a battleground and key transshipment point for illicit narcotics moving from South America to the continental United States. The report states that the island's geographic position in the Caribbean makes it a critical node in drug trafficking organizations' (DTO) supply chains, creating ongoing challenges for law enforcement and public safety.
Federal sources describe the Puerto Rico corridor as one of the most critical and exploited drug-smuggling routes into the U.S., used primarily for cocaine but also fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, firearms, and cash. The report attributes this vulnerability to the island's proximity to major South American drug-producing regions, which has historically made it attractive to traffickers seeking to move large quantities of narcotics into the United States.
The HIDTA 2025 report specifically states that the area of responsibility covering Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands is "highly vulnerable to drug trafficking" due to its position as an established transshipment zone for illegal drugs traveling from South America through U.S. territories toward the mainland.