The Caribbean has become a thriving hub for human and sex trafficking, with an estimated 80,000 smugglers entering the region annually, according to leading migration and trafficking consultant Dr. Cleophas Justine Pierre. Drawing on extensive field research and multiple regional studies, Dr. Pierre outlined a disturbing and largely underreported crisis, calling for urgent, coordinated action across Caribbean states.
Dr. Pierre, a senior consultant with Dunn, Pierre, Barnett and Company Canada Limited, shared the findings during a recent media briefing, referencing several Cariforum/CARICOM-commissioned studies conducted between 2019 and 2022. These include:
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- Human Trafficking in the Caribbean Region (2019)
- The Impact of Trafficking from Venezuela on Neighboring States (2020)
- A Review of Caribbean Human Trafficking Legislation
According to the research, approximately 176,000 individuals are actively involved in trafficking operations across 11 major economic hubs in the region. Shockingly, some individuals reportedly pay as much as USD $27,000 to engage in sex with a virgin—sometimes as young as 10 years old.
“There are at least 83 licensed brothels in operation across the region,” Dr. Pierre revealed. “Sex trafficking is not only real—it is a highly organized, multi-billion-dollar industry, often operating in plain sight.”
A Crisis Embedded in Culture and Crime
Highlighting the systemic nature of the issue, Dr. Pierre emphasized that sexual violence is deeply embedded in regional behavior and attitudes. “In the Caribbean, sexual violence against women is often normalized, even seen as entertainment. Human trafficking thrives in this culture,” he said.
The problem cuts across all territories, with Grenada cited as having 62% of court cases linked to violence against women. Meanwhile, Haiti and Venezuela have become epicenters for migrant trafficking, while Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic are among the top countries grappling with organized human trafficking networks.
The illegal trade is interwoven with at least 17 other crimes, including child pornography, drug and arms trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, and murder-for-hire, with traffickers exploiting weak border security, limited intelligence systems, and underfunded law enforcement agencies.
Despite the magnitude of the crime, the apprehension rate remains critically low—just 3.07%, Dr. Pierre noted.
Inside the Trafficking Network
Through direct interviews with 342 alleged traffickers, the research uncovered how two traffickers can manage up to 19 victims using psychological manipulation and coercive control. Many traffickers operate with impunity, leveraging personal relationships and long-standing criminal associations.
“Human trafficking is often a family business,” Dr. Pierre explained. “Victims, especially young girls, are frequently coerced into becoming traffickers themselves. Alarmingly, in nearly every case, a woman is involved in the recruitment or management of victims.”
Contrary to popular belief, most traffickers have no prior criminal record, yet over 58% reportedly receive support from law enforcement officers, immigration agents, and border officials—including housing victims, providing transport, and tipping off traffickers about raids.
The traffickers’ primary clientele? Predominantly white men from the U.S., U.K., Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, and Canada, many of whom are married and make short, three- to four-day trips to the region. Research indicates that 37.3% of these individuals are married, adding a layer of social complexity and concealment to the exploitation.
Victims and Vulnerability
Victims, typically between the ages of 12 and 24, are subjected to brutal treatment:
- 80% reported experiencing physical or sexual violence during trafficking
- 70% are forced into commercial sexual exploitation
- 85% of victims are women and girls
According to Dr. Pierre, the normalization of transactional sex and the socio-economic vulnerability of families contribute significantly to the demand. “In some cases, parents knowingly sell their daughters, believing it offers them a better life,” he said. “We’ve documented payments as high as $27,000 for a 10-year-old, and cases involving children as young as seven.”
A $40-Billion Industry Operating in Silence
Despite the scale, the issue remains underfunded and under-prioritized, with many governments lacking the resources, political will, or data infrastructure to effectively combat it. Dr. Pierre estimates the human trafficking economy in the Caribbean exceeds USD $40 billion, calling it “big business that no one is talking about.”
He stressed the need for a unified regional approach, urging CARICOM governments to:
- Establish centralized databases and intelligence-sharing mechanisms
- Create AI-based algorithms to track trafficking trends
- Develop detailed trafficker profiles
- Secure targeted funding for border security and law enforcement
- Invest in advanced training for immigration and customs personnel
“We are fighting an enemy we don’t fully understand,” Dr. Pierre warned. “There is no established profile for human traffickers. We lack adequate intelligence systems, border control is porous, and our data is fragmented.”
A Call to Action
Dr. Pierre’s research offers a sobering reminder that human trafficking is not a distant or abstract issue—it is a daily reality in the Caribbean, fueled by organized crime, cultural complicity, and governmental neglect. He concluded by calling for regional solidarity, systemic reform, and global accountability to confront a crisis that has remained in the shadows for far too long.
