Several credible (dated) studies suggest that the estimated annual value of drug trafficking emanating from Latin America and the Caribbean in the early 2000s was in the vicinity of US$39 billion (conservatively) annually at peak periods. The consumption markets are Europe and North America. To put this into perspective, adjusted for inflation in today’s value, the annual value would amount to approximately US$89.7 billion. On a cumulative basis over the last 25 years, this equates to a value of US$2.42 trillion. For further context, this is about 30% of the GDP for the entire region, 53% of CARICOM’s GDP, and 7% of the United States GDP.
This is the value of the drug trafficking trade that President Trump is directly addressing with his recent action in the region. The consequences—social, economic, and political—are a separate issue to be discussed at another time.
PS: This is a quick, high-level calculation intended to provide context. The data is subject to validation, which I will undertake in a more substantive brief in due course.