NCJ Number
234165
Date Published
October 2010
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report presents statistics and information on cocaine smuggling in 2009, with attention to source countries, amounts of cocaine smuggled, and smuggling patterns related to cocaine movement toward the United States, toward non-U.S. markets via the Atlantic Ocean, and toward non-U.S. markets across the Pacific Ocean.
Abstract
Data on cocaine movement show a 12-20 percent reduction in the amount departing South America toward the United States in 2009 compared to 2008. Ecuador's increasing importance as a departure country for cocaine shipments to international markets, primarily the United States, marked a key shift in trafficking patterns in South America. Ecuador was the only country in South America to increase its internal seizure totals in 2009, although cocaine seizures in Colombia remained relatively high. Substantial decreases in seizures in Peru and Venezuela led to a decrease in South America's seizure totals by 8 percent in 2009. In 2009, Venezuela remained the preferred departure point for noncommercial air shipments, primarily toward the United States via Honduras and other Central American destinations. The importance of Central America as a transshipment point for cocaine moving toward the United States continued to grow in 2009. In 2009, traffickers continued to use water routes along the coastlines of Central America, using fast boats. Traffickers also shifted toward moving smaller, more frequent loads along shorelines and deep-sea routes. Notable shifts in cocaine flow across the Atlantic are noted for 2009. Regarding markets across the Pacific Ocean, cocaine usage in Asia, Australia, and Oceania is still estimated to account for less than 5 percent of the world's cocaine consumption, although the number and size of recent shipments toward Asia, Australia, and Oceania suggest a growing demand in the region. The amount of cocaine seized in 2009 worldwide was relatively stable. 7 figures