Organized violence for profit is an evolving threat for Jamaica, and the wider Caribbean. A July 2024 UN report confirms that rising drug production in South America, easy access to firearms, and expanding transnational gangs are driving high homicide rates in our region. This is no longer a social issue. Gangs today are well-financed, well-organized networks using violence as a business tool. We must disrupt gang financing, cut off access to weapons, and dismantle their influence in our communities. I’ve said before, we need a war on gangs, with the urgency and scale of the war on terror. Our laws, policies, and public mindset must evolve to match the threat we now face.