Cocaine Trafficking Routes to North America

"North America, with its large consumer base,⁶⁸ continues to be one of the main destinations for cocaine trafficked from South America. Mexico is an important transit country functioning as a gateway for cocaine reaching the United States,⁶⁹ which accounts for the majority of cocaine users in North America,⁷⁰ as well as Canada (primarily via the United States, but also directly from Mexico⁷¹). Cocaine reaches Mexico from South America via different routes: via maritime shipments, especially using go-fast boats; via clandestine flights; and also, via land.

"Maritime trafficking appears to be the dominant modality along the western (Pacific) coast of the Central American landmass,⁷² with several identified maritime routes ending directly on the western coast of Mexico, including states like Chiapas, Oaxaca, Guerrero, Michoacan, Jalisco and Sinaloa,^{73 74} while others make landfall further south, in Central American countries with a coast on the Pacific, such as (from north to south) Guatemala,^{75 76} El Salvador,^{77 78 79} Nicaragua,^{80 81} Costa Rica^{82 83} and Panama,⁸⁴ before continuing the journey north. Traffickers rely extensively on go-fast boats for trafficking along this route,⁸⁵ but other vessels, including semi-submersibles⁸⁶ and fishing boats,^{87 88 89} are also used. The US Drug Enforcement Administration estimated this route to account for 74 per cent of cocaine flowing north out of South America.⁹⁰ Ecuador is a major departure country for cocaine leaving the South American landmass along this route.^{91 92} Once the vessels reach or approach the Pacific coast of Central America, cocaine may also be transferred to other maritime vessels to continue northward along the coast.^{93 94 95 96}"