This report should be the one that challenges us most, especially in Latin America. Because no debate on investment, competitiveness, or economic stability will be viable unless it is framed within an urgent reality: the infiltration of organized crime into legitimate trade. Without a coordinated and collaborative response, sustainable development is not possible, nor can logistical integrity endure.
With a firm call for joint collaboration, the World Customs Organization (WCO) presented its report on July 17th report titled “Infiltration of Maritime Cargo Supply Chains: Organized Crime, Cocaine, and the Insider Conspirator”According to the WCO itself, "the analysis does not fully cover global maritime drug flows, but it provides an accurate assessment of recent and likely trends in maritime smuggling." The study reveals how criminal organizations have refined their tactics within maritime logistics chains, leveraging resources, internal access, and technology to boost illicit drug trafficking globally.
Between 2023 and 2024, were analyzed 2.626 drug seizures worldwide, with a total volume of 1.347 tons—mainly cocaine. The most revealing fact: 68% of the cases involved “internal conspirators.”, that is, employees of the logistics chain who collaborated voluntarily or under pressure with criminal networks.
Latin America: origin
The report notes that Latin America is not only a key producing region but also a strategic gateway for trade routes to Europe and other regions. Criminal groups use maritime containers - the most widely used means, with 85% of seizures- and increasingly sophisticated methods: modification of structures, opening in transit, coupling of cargo to the hulls of vessels or deliveries on the high seas.
An emerging trend is the use of container roofs to hide drugs, with a jump of 0,9 to 3,4 tons seized in just one year, which shows a rapid tactical evolution on the part of organizations.
(I.e.The case of the banana industry
Chapter IV of the report details how the banana industry, due to its volume and regularity in maritime trade, has become systematic target of drug trafficking. Of the total number of detections in containers with identified merchandise, 35% had bananas as a declared productThe scale of this trade and its organic load make it difficult to detect and facilitate concealment.
Furthermore, the WCO warns about the intentional diversion of containers before their arrival at the original loading port, which allows for covert cargo manipulation. This vulnerability also exposes shippers, as evidenced by the testimony collected by the BBC from an Ecuadorian truck driver who stated: “If you don't contaminate the containers, you have two options: quit your job or end up dead."
(I.e.Maritime smuggling
The report also documents a dangerous modality in Chapter V: the attachment of drugs to the underwater hulls of commercial vessels, carried out by teams of specialized divers recruited and supervised by criminal organizations in Latin American ports. Between 2023 and 2024, 76 cases of this technique were recorded, with a total of 12,2 tons of cocaine intercepted.Brazil, Colombia, and Costa Rica were the main countries of origin, with the port of Santos being the most affected.
More than half of these contaminated vessels were destined for ports in Western Europe, mainly Spain and Italy.
An answer that cannot wait
The WCO, through the Supply Chain Integrity Project, coordinated with the Australian Border Force (ABF), has strengthened its monitoring of these threats and the development of analytical tools to support its Member States.
El WCO Secretary General, Ian Saunders, was blunt: “LIllegitimate actors are undermining our collective efforts with industry to promote safe and free trade. The quantities of narcotics detected demonstrate that they are well-organized, well-funded, and persistent. We need equally focused and decisive responses..
The WCO emphasizes the urgent need for greater coordination between jurisdictions and the private sector to effectively combat illicit trade.
"This collaborative effort is vital to eliminating the channels that allow the exploitation of legitimate cross-border trade.", the WCO stresses.
To this end, the WCO report—available on its official website in Spanish and consisting of 48 pages divided into six chapters—is open for public consultation. It is not just another report, but a tool for governments and their representatives to thoroughly analyze it, and for the private sector to understand its scope, implications, and the necessary actions they must take from now on.
Aduana News is the first Argentine customs newspaper to launch its digital version. With 20 years of experience, its publications and initiatives aim to provide the most relevant knowledge on customs issues in order to contribute to safe trade in the region.
