In a recent investigative report based on leaked Colombian prosecutor’s files known as the “Narcofiles,” a consortium of journalists has revealed significant shifts in the dynamics of the global cocaine trade.
According to AFP, the findings, drawn from around seven million emails and 38,000 files leaked by the Guacamaya hacktivist group in 2022, present a nuanced analysis of the operations of drug cartels and networks.
While Colombia remains the largest producer of cocaine, the report suggests that other international actors are increasingly playing a more substantial role in its manufacturing and distribution.
“The market is changing,” Nathan Jaccard, Latin America editor for the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project , a consortium of investigative journalists who accessed the files, said.
The comprehensive report, compiled by a group of approximately a hundred journalists, sheds light on several key insights into the changing landscape of the global cocaine trade:
The findings indicate a transformation in the global cocaine trade, with various international groups gaining prominence beyond Colombia. Noteworthy actors include Mexican, Albanian, Brazilian, Ecuadorian, and Israeli organizations, signaling a departure from Colombia’s historical dominance.
Colombia, while remaining the primary producer, is experiencing a diminishing role in the international drug trafficking chain. Factors contributing to this change include falling coca leaf prices and the emergence of synthetic drugs like fentanyl.
“Colombia no longer plays a leading role in the international drug trafficking chain,” explains Elizabeth Dickinson, an analyst at Crisis Group.
The report also underscores the growing involvement of the banana industry in cocaine exports. Traffickers are reportedly using banana shipments to conceal their illicit goods, leveraging the quicker customs checks for fresh produce.
Further revelations according to the report showed that Increased trafficking along alternative routes, such as the Amazon River, where submarines transport cocaine to the Atlantic, has been observed. This poses challenges for law enforcement agencies attempting to intercept drug shipments.
Traditional Colombian cartels, including the Clan del Golfo, are witnessing a reduction in influence. The report describes a process of atomization, with power shifting to smaller, more fragmented groups.
“Drug traffickers are deciding to move closer to the markets” to reduce costs and risks, while maximizing profits, Jaccard explained.
Some of the changes mean that Colombian cartels and their kingpins, the likes of Pablo Escobar, no longer “run the show,” said Dickinson.
The triple border point where Peru, Colombia, and Brazil meet in the Amazon is identified as a new hotspot in the cocaine market. Additionally, coca leaf plantations have multiplied in Central America and Mexico.
