A last-minute report by Intelligence Online has revealed that drug cartels are training their members on the frontline of the war in Ukraine. More specifically, Mexican drone operators have joined the fight to improve their own piloting skills.
Mexican intelligence services have directly warned their Ukrainian counterparts. The Eastern European country is known to welcome foreign fighters. They can earn the equivalent of up to $3,000 a month.
Drug cartels fly drones over the US-Mexico border, mainly for surveillance. This makes the crossing safer for illegal drug smugglers. The final products are then delivered to North American consumers, while Europe relies mainly on transatlantic boat shipments.
Drug traffickers rely on drones for many purposes
Border surveillance isn’t the only purpose of the cartels’ air fleets. In fact, the US authorities are currently confronted with a number of different strategies involving drones. These include drug traffickers using them to deliver fentanyl or methamphetamine.
They also use UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to guide migrants through the desert, after some have already crossed the terrifying Darién Gap. People smuggling then generates revenue that is reinvested in the global illegal drug trade. In addition, explosive drones can directly target border patrols.
Mexican cartels aren’t the only criminals using drones for illegal purposes. In fact, many reports have detailed how inmates are receiving drugs in prison thanks to aerial delivery. We have seen cases in many countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and France.
Cocaine cartels team up with former enemies in Ukraine
The cartel’s presence is ironically paired with that of Colombia’s drug war veterans on the front lines. However, it is still difficult to determine whether both profiles have already joined forces on the field against Russia.
In the long term, the knowledge gained from the war in Ukraine could really benefit the cocaine cartels. And it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve gotten involved on the ground in Europe, with some chemists already flying to the French Riviera to master the production of stimulants.
Today, cocaine is often ranked as the second most commonly used illicit drug in the world. Users enjoy it for its energising and disinhibiting effects. But the production of the white powder often rhymes with the destruction of the rainforest in South America, which is vital to humanity.
