The cocaine trade is booming in Europe’s Caribbean territories
The overseas possessions provide an easy route into the EU
Back when the United States was the world’s hottest market for cocaine, the drug was flown into places like Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, then taken to Florida by boat. Today the fiercest demand for cocaine comes from Europe, where its wholesale price is some 40% higher than in the United States. To meet this demand, smugglers have woven a different set of Caribbean islands into their supply chains: Europe’s overseas territories.
This article appeared in the The Americas section of the print edition under the headline “Keeping it in the family”
From the March 30th 2024 edition
Discover stories from this section and more in the list of contents
Explore the editionDiscover more
Entrevista con Javier Milei, presidente de Argentina
Transcripción de su encuentro con nuestro corresponsal
An interview with Javier Milei, Argentina’s president
A transcript of his meeting with our journalist
Mexico and Canada brace for Donald Trump’s tariff thrashing
Mexico’s Claudia Sheinbaum and Canada’s Justin Trudeau are taking different approaches to looming trade war
Javier Milei, free-market revolutionary
Argentina’s president explains how he has overturned the old economic order
Is Uruguay too stable for its own good?
The new president must deal with serious problems with growth, education and crime
Bolsonaro’s bid to regain Brazil’s presidency may end in prison
Brazilian police have accused some of his backers of involvement not just in a coup, but in an assassination plot