President Donald Trump’s “Shield of the Americas” initiative seeks to unite the Western Hemisphere against cartels and transnational criminal networks. But one of the most dangerous fronts in that fight is no longer abroad. It is inside an American territory.

In March, federal authorities charged 52 members of the Puerto Rican gang La Familia Nunca Muere with drug trafficking and firearms violations, linking the organization to more than 30 murders, many carried out in broad daylight. Puerto Rico — home to just 3.1 million people — recorded 471 homicides in 2025. Public housing projects, known locally as “residenciales” or “caserios,” contain only 3% of the island’s population, yet accounted for 17% of those killings. Violence inside these developments doubled during the first half of 2025 compared with the previous year.