Guardian: Latin American cartels may be operating in 16 European countries

Latin American criminal groups may be operating in 16 European countries, according to a four-month investigation by the Guardian, published on Tuesday, 13 October. The newspaper reports that cocaine seizures in Europe have more than quintupled over the past decade.

As reported by the Guardian, the rise in cocaine smuggling into Europe is directly linked to the strengthening of many cartels in the region. According to the paper, the investigation shows a Europe-wide shift in which Latin American groups are settling on the continent instead of operating only from a distance. At the time of writing, the full details of the investigation, including the list of 16 countries, had not been verified.

What EU data shows

The EU Drugs Agency (EUDA, formerly the EMCDDA) has been documenting the scale of the phenomenon for years. In the European Drug Report 2024, the agency reported that in 2022 EU countries recorded a record 323 tonnes of seized cocaine, the sixth year in a row. Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands seized the most, reflecting the role of their ports as main entry points.

According to later EUDA data, cited among others by the Irish Examiner, the amount of cocaine seized in the EU rose from 211 tonnes in 2020 to 419 tonnes in 2023. It was the seventh consecutive record.

Ports and laboratories

EUDA notes that criminal networks use legitimate trade infrastructure. In 2023, 25 tonnes of cocaine were seized at the port of Hamburg, twice as much as the year before. The agency also writes that cocaine is processed and extracted from semi-finished products within the EU, as confirmed by discovered laboratories and seized solvents.

What it means

For readers in Poland, the conclusions are so far indirect: record seizures mainly concern ports in Western Europe, while the Guardian’s reporting suggests that the presence of cartels is spreading to more countries. Whether Poland is among the 16 countries is not known; as of publication, no comment from Polish services or Europol on the investigation’s findings had been found.