THE HAGUE – Intensified cooperation between law enforcement agencies across the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is producing significant results in the fight against drug trafficking, according to Dutch Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel.
The minister made the remarks during a committee debate in the Dutch House of Representatives earlier this year, where he highlighted the success of so-called "War Rooms"—joint operational centers that bring together the police, Royal Netherlands Marechaussee, Customs and the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard to coordinate intelligence and enforcement efforts.
According to Van Weel, the close collaboration has led to several major drug seizures throughout the Caribbean region. On Aruba, the crackdown has even produced what he described as an unusual development: the street price of cocaine has increased because stricter border controls have significantly reduced the supply of drugs reaching the island.
The committee debate also focused on another growing challenge facing the Caribbean parts of the Kingdom: prison capacity.
The minister acknowledged that detention facilities on several islands are operating under severe pressure. On Bonaire, authorities were forced last year to release and deport 23 foreign detainees—most of them Venezuelan drug couriers—before completing their full sentences in order to free up space for local offenders.
Bonaire is also temporarily housing inmates from Sint Maarten, where prison conditions have reached a critical stage due to overcrowding and aging infrastructure.
To address the problem, the Dutch government has committed €30 million toward the construction of a new prison on Sint Maarten. The new correctional facility is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
Members of the Dutch Parliament stressed, however, that the new prison must include stricter security measures to prevent inmates from continuing criminal activities while incarcerated. Dutch lawmakers emphasized the importance of ensuring that organized crime networks cannot continue operating from inside prison walls.
The debate reflects the Kingdom's broader strategy of combining stronger law enforcement cooperation with investments in correctional infrastructure to combat transnational organized crime and drug trafficking in the Caribbean.