Mexican Cartels Continue Expanding Their Operations And Have Also Reached Africa, Pentagon Says

Mexican cartels continue expanding their operations around the world, now also reaching Africa, the Pentagon warned.

Infobae noted that the development marks a new stage for cartels, which are using coastal regions and trade corridors to strengthen their global position.

The outlet said the threat has already been noted by AFRICOM, with lieutenant general John W. Brennan Jr. saying Angola and Namibia are among the countries impacted the most.

Cartels are increasingly increasing their footprint in Africa to strengthen their control of maritime routes allowing them to take drugs to Europe and Asia, considering that many African countries' limited customs control allow them to go unnoticed.

The Pentagon added that activities are not limited to drug-trafficking, and that they provide support for groups engaging in human trafficking and illegal fishing, among others.

Cartels have also been escalating their operations in Europe and are no longer just exporting drugs there, according to another report.

Infobae detailed earlier this month that the Jalisco and Sinaloa cartels have set up labs to manufacture drugs, especially methamphetamine, and are also training "cooks" to work in them.

Such facilities have been discovered in countries like France, Belgium, Spain, Poland and the Netherlands.

The report, which cites the BBC, notes that cartels have sent their own "cooks" to train locals, and have also sealed alliances with mafias in the Balkans to cement their presence in the continent. These groups take the drugs produced by the cartels, later distributing them and laundering the money. They also provide territorial protection.

A case illustrating the extent of cartels' presence in Europe took place in 2024, when authorities dismantled a lab in Marseille, France. Such episodes have become more frequent, the report added, and is a result of the growing demand for synthetic drugs in the continent.

Polish authorities have also dismantled labs, with agents confirming the detention of Mexican people involved in their operation.

Drug-traffikcing expert Ludmila Quiros told the outlet that the participation of Mexican cartels in the European ecosystem is still small and that most of the market is dominated by cocaine. However, she noted that the groups represent a growing threat.