Subtitle
Europe, Latin America and the Need to Strengthen Anti-Narcotics Cooperation
Publication Name
Briefing Paper
Volume, number, page
132
Year of Publication
2013
Organization Name
The Finnish Institute of International Affairs
Acronym
FIIA
Publisher
FIIA
City
Helsinki
Country of Publication
Finland
Full Date
June 2013
ISBN or ISSN
1795-8059
Considered Countries
Venezuela
Colombia
Brazil
United States
Category
Academic articles
Theme
BIREGIONAL RELATIONS UE - LAC
Keyword(s)
European Union
Latin America
Drugs
Drug traffic
Security Co-operation
Organized Crime
Africa
Caribbean
International Relations
Abstract
• The cocaine business has changed significantly in recent years. Once concentrated in Colombia, it
has now expanded to the entire Latin American region with Brazil, Mexico, Central America, and
Venezuela having become central corridors for the illegal traffic.
• As the market for cocaine has been contracting in North America, Latin American drug networks
have switched their attention to Europe, which is now the world’s fastest growing market for
cocaine.
• The cocaine enters Europe mainly by exploiting the legitimate container trade. Most shipments
continue to be directed to Western Europe, but recently the illicit trade has been expanding
eastward with new entry points opening up in the Black Sea and Balkan area. There are also
indications of a possible new entry point in the Eastern Baltic Sea area.
• Not only are Latin American criminal organizations expanding their activities on the European
drug market, but they are also exploiting the European financial crisis to launder their profits and
move into other branches of the economy.
• The growing transatlantic cocaine trade calls for improving inter-regional counter-narcotics
cooperation. Concrete steps should be taken to promote stronger links between anti-drugs
programmes, development cooperation and public security policies on both sides of the Atlantic.
has now expanded to the entire Latin American region with Brazil, Mexico, Central America, and
Venezuela having become central corridors for the illegal traffic.
• As the market for cocaine has been contracting in North America, Latin American drug networks
have switched their attention to Europe, which is now the world’s fastest growing market for
cocaine.
• The cocaine enters Europe mainly by exploiting the legitimate container trade. Most shipments
continue to be directed to Western Europe, but recently the illicit trade has been expanding
eastward with new entry points opening up in the Black Sea and Balkan area. There are also
indications of a possible new entry point in the Eastern Baltic Sea area.
• Not only are Latin American criminal organizations expanding their activities on the European
drug market, but they are also exploiting the European financial crisis to launder their profits and
move into other branches of the economy.
• The growing transatlantic cocaine trade calls for improving inter-regional counter-narcotics
cooperation. Concrete steps should be taken to promote stronger links between anti-drugs
programmes, development cooperation and public security policies on both sides of the Atlantic.
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