Argentina: major market and transit point in the world drug trade

The Southbound Assault on Argentina by Organized Crime

By Jerry Brewer/mexidata.info reported

Much like Mexico in 2005, transnational organized criminals have stealthily and increasingly encroached into the Argentine homeland, engaging in violent battles for control of lucrative criminal turf and illicit contraband supply chains.

As superior weaponry and espionage-like tradecraft emerged in a shootout in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico in August 2005, Mexican and U.S. officials were in significant denial as to the seriousness of the incident, not only blaming local “drug dealers” but too they claimed it was all under control.

In December of 2006, newly inaugurated President Felipe Calderon found the country in a near failed state from death and violence. A paramilitary type of criminal enemy was attacking Mexican police head-on in deliberate ambushes, as well as kidnapping and murdering police and local governing officials.

Much of this continues to this day as Mexico struggles to build and better its police infrastructure, and valiantly attempts to rely less on the military that has been critically needed for national security.

And today, with little to no doubt, Argentina is on a near verbatim path.

It is abundantly clear that national borders are of little hindrance to the diabolical financial pursuits of transnational organized criminals. Leaving death and destruction along their paths, the relentless push to complete their mission as messiahs of contraband and their insatiable thirst for massive wealth are the main motivating factors.

Argentina used to be a transit country for drug trafficking; it is now a huge consumer country, controlled by an ever growing nucleus of illicit power brokers and growing corruption of security forces.

Argentina is now the second largest domestic market for cocaine in Latin America, after Brazil. It has become both a major market and transit point in the world drug trade.

Furthermore, Argentina is currently “a source, transit, and destination country for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor and sex trafficking,” according to the U.S. State Department. There appear to be significant numbers of sex trafficking victims from rural areas or northern provinces, and the Chilean border region, who are “forced into prostitution in urban centers.” Many are sent to wealthier provinces in central and southern Argentina. Read Full Article