"People are Getting Away with Murder": President Heine Demands Urgent Drug Crackdown

President Hilda Heine criticizes the slow pace of drug prosecutions in the Marshall Islands as cocaine "washes ashore" in record volumes, fueling local crime.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 2, 2026, 10:16 AM EDT

Source: RNZ (Radio New Zealand

A Nation Hit by a "Cocaine Rain"

The Marshall Islands, a sprawling archipelago in the western Pacific, has become an accidental transit point for international drug trafficking. In 2025, the volume of cocaine packages washing onto remote shores reached unprecedented levels, leading law enforcement to describe the phenomenon as "raining cocaine." While some packages are surrendered to the authorities, a significant portion enters the local black market. In the urban hubs of Majuro and Ebeye, these drugs are often processed into crack cocaine "rocks" and sold for as little as $5, fueling a rise in secondary crimes such as burglary and theft.

Impatience with Bureaucratic Progress

While a three-page report from the Office of National Security outlined various strategic plans, President Heine was vocal about her impatience. Speaking to the Marshall Islands Journal, she emphasized that while strategies and capacity building are important, they are not a substitute for active enforcement.

"I don't think that we're moving fast enough to arrest and convict people who are doing this, so that people can know that we're serious about this," Heine stated.

She specifically targeted the lack of consequences for distributors and sellers, arguing that the current atmosphere allows criminals to "get away with murder."