Puerto Rico Security and Crime Explained 2026

PUERTO RICO · SECURITY

Puerto Rico ended 2025 with about 460 murders, which the governor called the lowest in decades, but 2026 started higher. Here is what the official figures show, in plain English.

Puerto Rico security in November 2026 is a story of falling murder totals and a stubborn gun problem. Police counted 460 murders by 30 December 2025, which the governor called the lowest figure in decades, yet 2026 started higher.

This guide covers crime trends, armed groups, the police and the military, hotspots and what it means for residents and visitors. More coverage sits on the Rio Times Puerto Rico page, and the Puerto Rico politics guide explains who holds power.

Puerto Rico Security at a Glance

The list below gives each strand of the topic in one line, with the date of the latest official figure. Details follow in the sections after it.

• Murders: 460 by 30 December 2025, and 248 in the first six months of 2026, against 231 a year earlier.
• Guns: about 9 in 10 of the murders investigated in 2026 involved a firearm.
• Motive: about 4 in 10 link to drug trafficking and about 3 in 10 to revenge or feuds between criminal groups.
• Official count: the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, a government body, counted 471 homicides in 2025 on a broader basis.
• Hotspots: the San Juan, Caguas and Guayama police areas had the highest violent-death rates in late 2025.
• Military: the United States has stepped up Caribbean operations since September 2025.

Who Keeps Order in Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Police Bureau is the island-wide force, led by a superintendent. Joseph González Falcón held that post on Monday, 6 July 2026.

Governor Jenniffer González Colón leads the island government and spoke on the 2025 crime results on 29 December 2025. Puerto Rico is a US territory with its own laws and courts, as the history guide explains.

The police publish public dashboards on crime, use of force, domestic violence and sexual offences. The bureau warns that these figures are preliminary and change as investigations advance.

Certified statistics come from the bureau’s Crime Statistics Division, not from the dashboards. This guide therefore quotes the superintendent’s public statements and the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, and names the date of each figure.

Federal agencies work with the island police, and the bureau’s website lists a federal reform programme and a federal monitor’s office. The monitor oversees changes in police practice.

Crime Trends, Murders in 2025 and 2026

Police counted 460 murders on 30 December 2025, which was 35 fewer than on the same date in 2024. The governor called that the lowest murder figure in decades.

On 29 December 2025 the governor spoke of a historic reduction in violent crime. She cited 33 fewer murders, 5 fewer femicides, 15 fewer women killed and 110 fewer armed vehicle robberies than a year before.

The trend turned in 2026, when the murder count ran above the year before from spring on. By 6 July 2026 the gap stood at 17, with 248 murders against 231.

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, a government body, counted 471 homicides in 2025 in preliminary data published on 4 March 2026. Its count draws on police, forensic and civil-registry records, so it differs from the police total.

The same institute counted 732 violent deaths in 2025, of which 204 were suicides. It found that a firearm was used in 92% of the homicides in the last quarter of 2025.

In that quarter 93% of homicide victims were men, and people aged 20 to 39 were the most affected. The institute links police, forensic and civil-registry data to build this profile.

Armed Groups and Drug Trafficking

Police describe much of the violence as a fight between criminal groups over drug sales. The superintendent said on 6 July 2026 that numbers alone do not measure his strategy.

Police have published no list of gang names, and none was confirmed for this guide. Individual groups are therefore not named here.

Of the murders investigated in 2026, about 4 in 10 are linked to drug trafficking. About 3 in 10 stem from revenge or feuds between criminal organisations, and about 9 in 10 involve a firearm.

In June 2026 the superintendent said cocaine prices were falling again after a rise in 2025. He read that as a sign that more drugs were entering the island.

Hotspots and Safer Areas

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics publishes violent-death rates by police area. In the last quarter of 2025 the highest were three areas, listed below per 100,000 residents.

• San Juan police area, which covers the capital: 10.2.
• Caguas police area: 8.4.
• Guayama police area: 7.9.

These rates cover all violent deaths, including suicides. They are quarterly figures for police areas, not for single towns.

The police publish no official list of safe areas. A small town with few killings can still have a high rate per resident.

Areas not listed here were not ranked in the figures this guide could confirm. Visitors should follow local advice and use common sense in any city at night.

Police and Military Presence

The bureau certified 229 cadets in September 2025 and 132 on 29 December 2025. Another 292 were due to start training in 2026.

The superintendent said a first phase of a police pay raise took effect on 1 July 2026. Later phases still need approval, and exact new pay scales were not confirmed for this guide.

The US military has stepped up Caribbean operations since September 2025, when Pete Hegseth, the US secretary of war, visited. The former Roosevelt Roads naval base in Ceiba has since been reactivated.

In June 2026 the governor said more than 8,100 US troops would hold drills on the island between May and August. She described them as logistical and said they would involve no weaponry.

What It Means for US Readers

Puerto Ricans are US citizens, and Americans fly to the island as on any domestic route. The police emergency number is 911, and the 911 service accepts text messages for people who cannot speak.

The police confidential tip line is (787) 343-2020, and the sexual-offence helpline is (787) 343-0000. The main police switchboard is (787) 793-1234.

Police link about 7 in 10 of the murders they have investigated to drugs or criminal feuds, so most violence is targeted. Ordinary risks such as car break-ins and theft remain, so keep valuables out of sight.

Residents of the San Juan area will see the most police operations. The 292 cadets due to start training in 2026 should add to patrol numbers over time.

Investors and insurers should watch the second-half murder count, since the 2026 gap with 2025 was still 17 in early July. Foreign investors can read the guide to foreign powers and investors in Puerto Rico.

What Is Not Known

The police count after 6 July 2026 was not confirmed, so this guide has no full-year 2026 figure. The dashboards on the police website could not be read automatically, so police counts here come from the superintendent’s public statements.

A homicide rate per 100,000 residents and a ranking against US states were not confirmed from federal crime data. The number of drug points, the names of gangs, the arrest totals and the clearance rate for murders were not confirmed either.

Whether Joseph González Falcón still leads the bureau on 4 November 2026 was not confirmed. The role of the Puerto Rico National Guard in current operations, and State Department guidance for the island, were not confirmed either.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Puerto Rico safe for tourists in 2026?

Police link about 7 in 10 investigated murders to drugs or criminal feuds, but they publish no official list of safe areas. Visitors face ordinary risks such as theft, so keep valuables out of sight and dial 911 in an emergency.

How many murders did Puerto Rico have in 2025?

On 30 December 2025 the police count stood at 460, which was 35 fewer than a year earlier. The Institute of Statistics counted 471 homicides on a broader basis.

How many murders has Puerto Rico had in 2026?

Police counted 248 murders in the first six months of 2026, which was 17 more than the 231 of a year earlier. A full-year figure was not confirmed.

Are there cartels or gangs in Puerto Rico?

Police say about 3 in 10 investigated murders stem from feuds between criminal groups, and 4 in 10 link to drug trafficking. Names of individual gangs were not confirmed.

Which places in Puerto Rico have the most murders?

In late 2025 the San Juan police area had the highest violent-death rate, 10.2 per 100,000, then Caguas at 8.4. Guayama followed at 7.9.

Is the US military in Puerto Rico?

The United States has stepped up Caribbean operations since September 2025. The governor said in June 2026 that more than 8,100 US troops would hold drills between May and August.

Sources: Puerto Rico Police Bureau, public statistics dashboards; Puerto Rico Police Bureau, mission and objectives; Puerto Rico Police Bureau, reform and public notices; Puerto Rico Police Bureau, superintendent press conference on the first half of 2026 (6 July 2026); Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, violent deaths 2025 (4 March 2026); US Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Juan field office appointment; governor’s remarks at the police cadet certification (29 December 2025); governor’s June 2026 statement on military exercises; US Department of Defense visit announcement (September 2025); (all accessed 4 November 2026).