Latin American cartels are expanding their influence in Europe

Cocaine seizures in Europe increased by 471% between 2014 and 2024, amid the expansion of Latin American cartels and criminal groups across the continent. An investigation by The Guardian, cited by Rador, shows that networks from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico and the United States are active in at least 12 European countries, including Romania.

The groups have strengthened their presence in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, while their activities have also been identified in Germany, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia and Bulgaria. The investigation used databases, police and intelligence service information, as well as interviews with judges, prosecutors and experts from eight countries.

The organizations mentioned include the Mexican cartels Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation, the Clan del Golfo and FARC factions from Colombia, the Brazilian groups PCC and Comando Vermelho, as well as Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua. Drug laboratories coordinated by Latin American members have also been discovered in Europe, including in France, Poland and Germany.

Europol has identified 731 dangerous transnational networks involved in drug trafficking, 149 of which have links to organizations in Latin America. The increase in trafficking is being fueled by record cocaine production in South America and the higher profits generated on the European market. According to UN data, global production reached up to 4,700 tonnes in 2024, more than four times higher than in 2014.