Santo Domingo:--- More than forty crime analysts and specialists from around twenty Caribbean jurisdictions gathered in Santo Domingo for the third Regional Network Meeting for Crime Analysts (RNA), held under the theme STRATEGIC INSIGHTS: CRIMINAL NETWORKS, FINANCIAL CRIME, DRUG FLOWS AND THE ROLE OF AI (Artificial Intelligence). The event was organized by the Board of Chiefs of Police of the Dutch Caribbean, who emphasized that no island can effectively counter cross-border crime alone and that strong regional cooperation is essential.
The RNA was opened by Leonne van Vlimmeren, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Dominican Republic; Vice Admiral José Manuel Cabrera Ulloa, head of the Dominican Republic’s Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD); and Raymond Ellis, Chief of Police of Curaçao and representative of the Board of Chiefs of Police of the Dutch Caribbean. Van Vlimmeren described the RNA as ‘a unique forum where analysts build trust, recognize shared patterns and support each other across borders.’ Cabrera Ulloa underlined that organized crime moves swiftly between jurisdictions and that ‘our response must be coordinated, informed and rooted in shared intelligence.’ Ellis added: ‘Analysts turn fragments into clarity. When they connect across islands, criminal networks lose one of their biggest advantages.’
Over the course of three days, analysts from Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bonaire, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Curaçao, the Dominican Republic, France, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Martin, Sint Maarten, Saint Lucia, Surinam, the Netherlands, Trinidad & Tobago and the United States Virgin Islands delivered their latest analyses. Together, their presentations created a broad regional crime overview, covering firearms incidents, homicide trends, drug flows, youth-involved violence, coastal vulnerabilities, inter-island group dynamics, cyber-enabled crime and the growing influence of digital platforms on criminal behaviour.
The programme also included several expert contributions that helped place these developments in a broader context. Dr. Evan Ellis outlined how geopolitical shifts are reshaping the Caribbean, noting that the region is no longer merely a transit zone but increasingly part of the logistical chain for cocaine and other illicit goods. Experts from the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC) showed how the Caribbean has evolved into a logistics platform for cocaine storage, repackaging and redistribution, and stressed the link between drug flows and firearms. Technology and intelligence development were addressed by John Bloebaum and Thom Snaphaan, who underlined the importance of clear operational questions and demonstrated how financial crime scripting helps expose laundering and fraud patterns.
Assistant Commissioner Leonardo Brown, head of the Technology Branch of the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) presented the development of AI in the JCF. From CARICOM IMPACS, Terrance Roopchan, head of the Crime Gun and Gang Intelligence Unit and the Regional Intelligence Fusion Centre Operations Support Unit, and Dale Joseph, Chief Analyst Cyber of the Cyber Fusion Unit, highlighted trends in firearms trafficking, gang activity and cybercrime. The head of FIU Aruba, Angelo Brete, added a financial perspective, demonstrating how unusual transaction reports reveal laundering patterns across sectors and why understanding financial flows is essential for disrupting organized crime.
The central message throughout the meeting was clear: regional threats demand regional responses. Analysts noted that firearms circulate between islands, youth groups connect across borders through social media, drug routes adapt quickly under pressure and cyber-enabled crime exploits gaps in coordination. The RNA helps close those gaps by strengthening personal connections, accelerating communication, improving access to analytical methods, and enabling a shared understanding of emerging patterns.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from the Board of Chiefs of Police to continue developing the RNA as a permanent annual platform. As CARICOM IMPACS noted during their session: ‘Collaboration does not cost anything, but fragmentation does.’ The 2026 edition of the RNA is expected to be organized in close cooperation with regional partners.
PHILIPSBURG:--- Prime Minister Dr. Luc Mercelina recently returned from an official visit to Suriname, where he represented St. Maarten during the 50th anniversary celebrations of Suriname's independence, known as Srevidenci 50. The visit, which took place from November 21st to November 28th, was marked by high-level meetings, cultural exchanges, and discussions aimed at fostering stronger bilateral relations between the two nations.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The stage is officially set for Business Hoops 2026, taking place January 28th – February 7th, 2026. The highly anticipated Pool Draw was conducted on Tuesday, December 2nd at the L.B. Scotts Auditorium at 8:00 PM, where all 16 participating teams learned their path to championship glory.
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Ministry emphasized that the past year was not driven by optics or noise, but by addressing root causes and building systems that last. What began years ago as a call for accountability has since become a structured reform agenda grounded in compliance, transparency, and economic positioning.
