A four-month investigation by the Guardian has revealed a surge in cocaine trafficking to Europe, directly linked to the expanding presence of Latin American criminal networks. These networks are reported to have formed close ties with local mafia organisations across the continent.
The investigation, which used databases, police and intelligence agencies, and interviews with judges, prosecutors, and experts from eight countries, indicates that cartels and factions from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico, and the US are active in at least 12 European countries. Between 2014 and 2024, there was a 471% rise in the quantity of cocaine seized in Europe, and more local laboratories processing cocaine derivatives were dismantled.
Organisations such as Mexico’s Sinaloa cartel and the Jalisco New Generation cartel (CJNG), Colombia’s Clan del Golfo, and Brazil’s Primeiro Comando da Capital (PCC) have built a more prominent presence in countries including Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. Their activities have also been noted in Germany, Romania, Croatia, and Slovakia.
An unpublished report from the São Paulo public prosecutor’s office, reviewed by the Guardian, suggests that the PCC, Brazil’s largest criminal group, operates in 16 European countries, including the UK, Ireland, Iceland, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, and Turkey.