The Illegal drug trade in Puerto Rico is a problem from a criminal, social, and medical perspective. Located in the Caribbean, Puerto Rico has become a major transshipment point for drugs into the United States. Violent and property crimes have increased due in part to dealers trying to keep their drug business afloat, using guns and violence to protect themselves, their turfs, and drug habits. Crimes related to drugs are not the only crimes plaguing the island. Along with gang violence the island has also been victim to Police and political corruption. Chronology 1970–2008 The Government of Puerto Rico has struggled to combat illegal drug use and the resulting crime since the mid-1970s. Their efforts have been referred to as a "War on Drugs". Though drug use was uncommon in Puerto Rico in the 1950s, it markedly increased in the late 1960s. In the 1970s the increase in drug use, particularly among those under the age of 25, became a major concern in Puerto Rico. During this era, a person named Rafy Dones surfaced as one of the first, alleged major drug traffickers operating in Puerto Rico; he was sentenced to a jail term on 30 September 1977. A number of drug cartels have used Puerto Rico as a transfer point for trafficking cocaine to the mainland United States. Many Puerto Ricans have attributed the increase in crime to the drug trade. This led to a major focus on crime and drugs in Puerto Rican politics. In response, federal and local law enforcement agencies have attempted to integrate their efforts to fight drug crime. Strategies used by the government of Puerto Rico include long sentences for criminals, increased funding for law enforcement equipment, and the construction of new prisons. At times, however, the DEA and the Puerto Rican police have struggled to work together and some commentators have questioned the effectiveness of government drug policy. In the early 1990s, law enforcement began targeting white collar drug users. 2009–present The start of the "Drug Wars" in Puerto Rico was in 2009 in a conflict between Police and drug dealers which police wounded and killed two men. This occurred in Naranjito, Puerto Rico, the place where the drug dealers distributed their drugs to many places in Puerto Rico. In the house they found AK-47, M9 pistols and the drugs. Also they found that they were working with corrupt politicians to approve marijuana