Global Cocaine Supply Chain

From Andean coca fields through Mexican logistics cartels to European ports — the actors, choke points, and money flows of the world's largest illicit market.

Open Graph Enter Timeline Run Scenario

Factions

Andean growers

Cultivation base

Smallholders in Colombia, Peru, Bolivia producing coca leaf.

Colombian producers

Refining & export

Successor groups to Cali/Medellín controlling lab capacity.

Mexican cartels

Logistics & US distribution

Sinaloa, CJNG and others move product north and increasingly east.

European port brokers

Containerized import

Networks in Antwerp, Rotterdam, Hamburg unloading record tonnages.

Timeline

1993

Death of Pablo Escobar

Medellín fragments; Cali rises briefly.

2006

Mexican drug war begins

Calderón's military campaign reshapes cartel hierarchy.

2018

Coca cultivation hits record

Colombian production surges past historical highs.

2023

Antwerp seizures top 100 tonnes

Europe overtakes US as fastest-growing market.

Scenarios

What if Antwerp tightens container scanning to 100%?

↳ Routes: Flows shift to smaller Med ports within 12 months.
↳ Price: Wholesale EU price spikes 30–50% short-term.

What if Colombia legalizes coca leaf?

↳ Growers: Income stabilizes; armed groups lose recruiting edge.
↳ Cocaine supply: Marginal short-term impact; refining unaffected.