Drug cartels from South America spread across Europe
A Guardian investigation reveals a dramatic expansion of South American drug cartels in Europe, with a presence in at least 12 countries. The amount of cocaine seized surged by 471% between 2014 and 2024, and local drug processing laboratories are proliferating. Experts warn this is a new phenomenon that goes beyond traditional entry countries.
A comprehensive four-month investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian reveals that drug cartels and criminal organizations from Latin America are expanding their operations in Europe at an unprecedented rate. The investigation, based on databases, police and intelligence documents, and interviews with judges, prosecutors, and experts from eight countries, found that these organizations operate in at least 12 European countries. One of Brazil's largest criminal organizations, PCC, may already be active in 16 countries on the continent, including the UK, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey. Among the identified organizations are the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) from Mexico, the Brazilian criminal organizations PCC and Comando Vermelho, the Clan del Golfo from Colombia, and the Tren de Aragua from Venezuela. Their activity is particularly prominent in Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, but in recent years their presence has also been detected in Germany, Romania, Croatia, and Slovakia. The data is alarming: the amount of cocaine seized in Europe surged by 471% between 2014 and 2024, and the number of local drug processing laboratories has increased in parallel.