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.Other gangs have tightened their grip as well. Las Farc Playita, whose 53 members were charged and linked to more than 50 murders, and Los Vira’o, with 43 members indicted, now dominate multiple public housing complexes. They operate open-air drug markets behind barricades and have effectively denied local police freedom of movement. In some areas, officers can enter only alongside federal task forces and the local National Guard.