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- Disruptive wave: the fight against cartels in Latin America activates the black market of weapons
Disruptive wave: the fight against cartels in Latin America activates the black market of weapons
A whole regional operation against drug trafficking is unfolding in Latin America. The new Colombian authorities refused to negotiate peace with criminals and, together with Ecuador, began large-scale purges of the largest cartels. The United States joined them, but even with their help, crime is unlikely to be completely defeated, experts say. The campaign has activated the black market for weapons. The unstable situation in the region can create a backdrop for provocations and turn it into another platform for geopolitical confrontation. At the same time, civilians suffer the most: they become victims of local squabbles. What the war against cartels can lead to is in the Izvestia article.
Why has the fight against crime been intensified in Latin America?
Latin America has been overwhelmed by another wave of drug trafficking, which is why the authorities of key countries in the region have declared a real war on them. Colombia became the epicenter of the struggle. The new President, Abelardo De La Espriella, who took office on August 7, has radically changed the approach to national security. He built his election campaign around a tough fight against drug cartels, addressing them directly.
"I declare you a military target from now on. For the blood you have shed, I will make you pay drop by drop. I will have no mercy with these bandits," he said.
At the end of August, the country's leader presented a new uncompromising strategy: from now on, the state completely refuses any attempts at peaceful negotiations with crime. All illegal armed groups, including left-wing radical dissidents and the powerful Del Golfo Clan, are classified exclusively as terrorist organizations. On the night of August 27, the Colombian army conducted a large-scale operation "Amon" in the south of the country, delivering a massive blow to the camps of guerrilla groups.
The turning point was the recent entry of Colombia into the international anti-drug alliance Shield of the Americas, created under the auspices of the United States. This bloc unites about two dozen countries in the region, among which the United States, Ecuador and Panama play a key role. Combining the forces and intelligence of the alliance will allow the countries to begin a total sweep of transit routes and significantly intensify the fight against cartels.
Supporting the new ally, Ecuadorian Defense Minister Giancarlo Loffredo announced the launch of joint military operations with the Colombian army. As a result, the special forces of both countries began a large-scale sweep of the border areas from the logistical cells of the cartels. It's no secret that Ecuador is known as the largest transit hub for cocaine shipments.
The United States is actively helping the governments of states, hoping thereby to strengthen its own political influence there. And the problem with drug trafficking is not the last one for the States. Every year, more than 100,000 people die from drug overdoses in the country.
The other day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that he had discussed with Mexican Foreign Minister Roberto Velasco Alvarez steps to eliminate drug cartels. The largest syndicates Sinaloa and Jalisco — The New Generation continue to operate in Mexico, and a fierce war between factions is currently underway within the former, Infobae writes. And Jalisco militants regularly stage street terror, blocking highways and attacking the military. In Colombia, thousands of militants control the strategic coast, while in Ecuador, local gangs have become direct branches of Mexican cartels, seizing control of seaports.
Colombia should probably now expect a number of local successes in the fight against drug cartels, but they will not be completely eradicated even with US military support, says Viktor Kheifets, professor at St. Petersburg State University and director of the Center for Ibero-American Studies at St. Petersburg State University. According to him, the fight against crime without eliminating its social roots, such as poverty and problems in the field of education, does not solve the problem radically. Over time, it inevitably returns.
The main victim of the war against cartels is the civilian population. Hundreds of local residents are forced to leave their homes, becoming migrants, while others remain hostage in the territories controlled by gangs. Moreover, cartels systematically involve minors, including children aged 10-14. They are used for reconnaissance and drone control, as well as being sent to the battlefield, human rights activists describe.
What does the West and Ukraine have to do with it
In the endless struggle, drug cartels always use weapons purchased on the black market. The unfolding war obviously required even more purchases and became a convenient reason for information attacks. Recently, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) warned that Western intelligence agencies are preparing a major provocation. Their plan is to accuse Moscow of supplying weapons from its zone to criminal groups in Venezuela, Colombia and Mexico.
In reality, there is no "Russian trace". Perhaps that is why the SVR's statements have not yet been widely discussed in the country, and the Colombian authorities have not sent any requests to diplomats on this topic. This was reported to Izvestia by the Russian Embassy in Colombia.
The Russian Embassy in Mexico is also aware of the SVR statement. The diplomatic mission systematically monitors possible provocations, Alexander Batadeev, Charge d'affaires of Russia in Mexico, told Izvestia.
— According to the available information, there have been no cases of detection of supplies of weapons of domestic production from the SVO zone. As of today, there have been no complaints from the Mexican authorities against the Russian side in this regard," the diplomat explained.
The lack of official claims is explained simply: local intelligence agencies know the real routes of weapons traffic. The vast majority of illegal assault rifles are purchased on the civilian market in the United States and enter Latin America through well-established smuggling channels, says Victor Kheifets. Other weapons are purchased in Latin America or Asia itself, and some of the weapons end up on the black market from conflict zones, including those samples that were previously supplied to Ukraine.
In 2025, American journalist Tucker Carlson reported that Kiev was reselling American weapons to Mexican drug cartels operating on the border with the United States.
— And this is not my guess. That's a fact. Not speculation. They sell it, and a lot of it ends up with drug cartels on our border. So it's a crime," he said.
The newspaper El Independiente conducted an investigation that proved that Mexican drug cartels are armed with automatic rifles and grenade launchers from Ukraine, and the Spanish mafia is bringing dangerous goods across the ocean, which directly buys them from the Ukrainian military.
Later, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, stated the same thing. "Now it turns out that Zelensky's clientele on the black market has been replenished by drug cartels in Latin America," the diplomat said.
It is possible that with such provocations the United States is trying to deflect accusations that it is their domestic arms market that supplies the cartels. The ultimate goal of the potential provocation is to achieve the diplomatic isolation of the Russian Federation and force the sovereign states of the region to sever their partnership with Moscow.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
