South American drug cartels open new cocaine smuggling route to Spain via West Africa
South American drug cartels are establishing new cocaine routes into Spain via West Africa following U.S. crackdowns in the Caribbean, with 30 tons recently seized.
South American drug traffickers are increasingly rerouting cocaine shipments to European markets, utilizing a transit corridor that runs through West Africa into Spain. The shift in smuggling tactics comes as heightened maritime interdiction efforts by the United States in the Caribbean pressure traditional smuggling channels heading toward North America.
Traffickers are deploying fast boats to move illicit cargo across the Atlantic and into mainland Europe. Spanish authorities recently intercepted a major shipment involving 30 metric tons of cocaine that had traversed West Africa in June before arriving on the Spanish coast. Despite elaborate logistical planning by organized crime networks, law enforcement seized the illicit cargo before it could enter European distribution networks.
Sources: FAZ.