Reports describe Latin American cartels expanding across Europe
In short
Latin American drug cartels are operating in at least 12 European countries, according to Korean reports citing international media. The coverage describes rising cocaine supply, lower prices and trafficking networks extending beyond established western European bases.
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Latin American drug cartels have extended their operations across at least 12 European countries, according to Korean reports drawing on The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal and other international coverage. The accounts describe established bases in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, with activity also detected in countries including Germany, Romania, Croatia and Slovakia. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo reported that cocaine seizures in Europe rose 471% between 2014 and 2024. Chosun Ilbo attributed the figure to the European Union Drugs Agency and said Europe accounts for about a quarter of global cocaine consumption. It also reported that France seized a record 92 tonnes last year, with some cocaine entering France subsequently moving across borders. [ 1 , 2 ]
The reports place growing production alongside the expansion of distribution networks. Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo, citing the UN Office on Drugs and Crime's world drug report, put global cocaine production in 2024 at 3,800–4,700 tonnes, more than four times the 2014 level. They reported that prices in Europe had fallen from as much as $45,000 per kilogram to around $16,000. Chosun Ilbo described the lower figure as a price reached in some European cities. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The coverage also described concern that lower prices were bringing cocaine within reach of people who previously could not afford it. Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo attributed that assessment to a senior European Union Drugs Agency analyst interviewed by The Wall Street Journal. Chosun Ilbo said Latin American networks had built close relationships with local European criminal groups. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
The accounts discussed stronger US enforcement as a possible factor behind the diversification of trafficking routes, alongside increased supply. Chosun Ilbo described Ecuador as an important gateway for Europe-bound cocaine, while Hankook Ilbo reported that the Amazon river network had emerged as an alternative route. The latter also cited expert criticism that US military operations had failed to prevent networks becoming more dispersed. [ 2 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The reports link cheaper cocaine to a wider consumer base in Europe. They also raise the possibility that stronger US enforcement has encouraged trafficking routes to diversify, without establishing it as the sole cause.
Key facts
- Reports describe cartel activity in at least 12 European countries. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- European cocaine seizures in 2024 were reported to be 471% higher than in 2014. [ 1 , 2 ]
- Yonhap and Hankook Ilbo cited estimated global cocaine production of 3,800–4,700 tonnes in 2024. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The reports cite European cocaine prices falling as low as $16,000 per kilogram. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
Still unclear
- The extent to which stronger US enforcement caused the European expansion. The coverage presents route diversification as a possible effect alongside increased global production.