Latin American organised crime ‘may operate in 16 European countries’

A four-month Guardian investigation reveals that Latin American criminal networks now operate across at least 12 European countries, forging alliances with local mafia organisations to expand cocaine trafficking. Cartels and factions from Colombia, Brazil, Ecuador, Venezuela, Mexico and the US are active on the continent, according to the probe, which drew on police and intelligence databases, interviews with judges, prosecutors and experts from eight countries.

Cocaine seizures in Europe surged 471 percent between 2014 and 2024. The Guardian's reporting also documents the dismantling of more local laboratories processing cocaine derivatives, indicating a shift in how criminal networks operate within European borders rather than simply moving product through ports.

The investigation suggests Latin American organised crime may now operate in as many as 16 European countries, though the Guardian confirmed activity in at least 12. The surge in seizures and the expansion of criminal infrastructure point to a continent-wide restructuring of drug trafficking operations. Local mafia groups have moved beyond acting as simple distributors to forming deeper operational partnerships with Latin American cartels.

The scale of the shift reflects broader changes in global drug markets. Rather than controlling supply chains solely from source countries, major trafficking organisations have embedded representatives and operations directly into European markets. This allows them to manage distribution networks, oversee local processing facilities, and coordinate with established criminal organisations already present in European cities.

The Guardian's methodology included access to law enforcement and intelligence agency records, suggesting the findings reflect information known to national and European authorities. The newspaper interviewed officials across eight countries, indicating the investigation covered a significant geographic area and drew on multiple governments' assessments of the threat.

The precise countries where cartels operate remain partially unclear from the Guardian's public reporting. The distinction between confirmed presence in 12 countries and potential activity in 16 suggests some uncertainty in mapping the full extent of Latin American criminal networks across Europe.