Latin American drug cartels expand into dozens of European nations, boosting cocaine flow

A four-month investigation that combined police databases, intelligence sources and interviews with judges and prosecutors revealed that Latin American criminal networks are now entrenched in at least a dozen European states, working closely with local mafia groups. Cartels and factions from Colombia, Brazil, Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador and the United States—including the Sinaloa cartel, CJNG, PCC, Comando Vermelho and Tren de Aragua—have been identified in countries such as Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and France, with activity also noted in Germany, Romania, Croatia, Slovakia and Bulgaria.

Between 2014 and 2024 cocaine seizures rose 471%, and numerous laboratories processing derivatives were dismantled. Experts say the expansion goes beyond traditional gateway nations, with Mexican meth labs uncovered in France, Poland and near Berlin, and Latin groups appearing along Balkan routes. An unpublished Brazilian prosecutor’s report suggests the PCC operates in 16 European nations, including the UK and Turkey. The surge mirrors a four-fold increase in Latin American drug production, positioning Europe as a high-profit market for these networks.