On Friday, 16 January 2015 the United States announced a new Federal plan to fight drug trafficking in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. This new initiative, aimed at stemming the flow of cocaine from the Caribbean to the US will benefit the Dominican Republic, another major victim of the trade that is blamed for the increase in crime in the country.
It is estimated that the illegal trade has doubled in the past three years due to market demand in the US. US officials say that cocaine trafficking in the region has increased due to tougher surveillance along the US-Mexico border, and stronger air control in Venezuela and the DR. Puerto Rico and the DR are known to be the main cocaine distributors in the region, received from speedboats from South America.
Drugs are thought to be behind most of the crimes in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.
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