Caribbean drug trade rises under new generation of 'Cocaine Cowboys'

MIAMI (Reuters) - The Caribbean is becoming a hot spot again for drug smuggling into the United States as a new generation of "Cocaine Cowboys" plows the seas in fast boats in search of easy entry points for illicit shipments into the world's largest consumer market.

About 14 percent of U.S.-bound cocaine shipments - roughly 42 tons - was trafficked through the Caribbean in the first six months of this year, and Puerto Rico and the neighbouring Dominican Republic are emerging as hubs of the burgeoning trade, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.