Drug Smuggling Increasingly Land Based

As part of its coverage of the security situation in Mexico, global intelligence clearinghouse STRATFOR has posted an informative and timely analysis of the changing nature of the drug trade in the Western Hemisphere:

While the United States remains the top destination for South American-produced cocaine, and Mexico continues to serve as the primary transshipment route, the path between Mexico and South America is clearly changing.

These changes have been most pronounced in Central America, where Mexican drug-trafficking organizations have begun to rely increasingly on land-based smuggling routes as several countries in the region have stepped up monitoring and interdiction of airborne and maritime shipments transiting from South America to Mexico.

The results of these changes have been extraordinary…Notwithstanding the difficulty associated with estimating drug flows, it is clear that Central America has evolved into a significant transshipment route for drugs, and that the changes have taken place rapidly. These developments warrant a closer look at the mechanics of the drug trade in the region, the actors involved, and the implications for Central American governments — for whom drug-trafficking organizations represent a much more daunting threat than they do for Mexico.

Click here for the complete STRATFOR report.

Update: U.S. trucking companies operating in Mexico or near the southwest border have been warned "to establish special security procedures in light of the surge in drug-related violence along the key commercial corridor."