More than forty analysts and criminology specialists from around twenty countries and islands across the Caribbean gathered in Santo Domingo for the third Regional Analysts Network Meeting (RNA).
This year’s theme was STRATEGIC INSIGHTS: CRIMINAL NETWORKS, FINANCIAL CRIME, DRUG FLOWS AND THE ROLE OF AI.
The Colegio di Hefenan di Polis of the four Caribbean police forces within the Kingdom of the Netherlands organized the event to stimulate regional cooperation in the fight against transnational crime.
The meeting opened with remarks by Leonne van Vlimmeren, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the Dominican Republic; Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, head of the National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD); and Raymond Ellis, Police Chief of Curaçao and representative of the Colegio di Hefenan di Polis.
Van Vlimmeren described RNA as “a unique forum where analysts can better understand one another, recognize patterns, and provide cross-border support.”
Cabrera Ulloa emphasized that organized crime moves quickly from one country to another and that “our response must be coordinated, well-grounded, and based on the information we share.”
Ellis added: “Analysts combine information to provide a clear picture. When analysts from different islands work together, criminal networks lose one of their main advantages: fragmentation.”
Over three days, analysts from Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, France, Guyana, the Netherlands, Cayman Islands, Jamaica, the Dominican Republic, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, US Virgin Islands, and British Virgin Islands presented their most recent analyses. Together, the contributions offered a broad and detailed view of crime in the region: shootings, homicide figures, drug trafficking, youth violence, use of vulnerable coastal zones, cooperation between criminal networks across islands, cybercrime, and the increasingly important role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and online platforms.
There were also presentations placing these developments within a global context.
Dr. Evan Ellis explained how geopolitical shifts are affecting the Caribbean, turning the region not only into a transit route but into an integral part of the logistical chain for cocaine and other illicit goods.
Specialists from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) highlighted how the Caribbean has become a hub for storing, repackaging, and redistributing cocaine, underscoring the close link between drug trafficking and firearms smuggling.
The role of technology and intelligence was central to contributions by John Bloebaum and Thom Snaphaan. They demonstrated that high-quality analysis begins with sharply formulated operational questions, and that “financial crime scripting” can support the detection of money-laundering activities and fraud.
Assistant Commissioner Leonardo Brown, head of the technology division of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF), presented the development of digital resources within the JCF.
Representing CARICOM IMPACS, Terrance Roopchan — head of the unit for intelligence on crime, firearms, and gangs — together with Dale Joseph, lead analyst of the Cyber Fusion Unit, discussed current trends in firearms trafficking, gang formation, and cybercrime.
Angelo Brete, head of FIU Aruba, offered a financial perspective, demonstrating how unusual transactions can help identify money-laundering operations across sectors such as real estate, gambling, international trade, and more.
The event carried one clear message: regional threats require a regional approach.
Analysts are observing how easily firearms move from one island to another, how social media connects youth groups across borders, how drug routes rapidly shift when pressure rises, and how criminality exploits gaps in cooperation.
The RNA helps close those gaps by strengthening personal connections, streamlining communication, providing access to analytical tools, and creating a shared overview of emerging patterns.
The Colegio di Hefenan di Polis closed the event by reaffirming that the RNA will continue to grow as an annual regional platform.
As CARICOM IMPACS expressed: “Collaboration costs nothing; fragmentation does.”
The 2026 edition will again be organized in close collaboration with regional partners.
Press Release – Colegio di Hefenan di Polis
