Blog dedicated to reporting on Mexican drug cartels
on the border line between the US and Mexico
.

Saturday, September 4, 2021

Could The Taliban Form An Alliance With Mexico's Drug Cartels?

"Sol Prendido" for Borderland Beat  

As the Taliban take control of Afghanistan, they will further tighten their grip on opium poppy cultivation. This in turn will have an impact on the global drugs trade and in particular Mexico's powerful cartels.

Afghanistan and Mexico might appear distant from one another on a world map and are also separated by major historical, sociological and religious differences. 

But the Taliban and the Mexican cartels are united by the fact that they are both financially dependent on drug trafficking and use extreme violence to expand their political power and control of territory. Ahead of the elections in Mexico in June, numerous candidates were threatened and killed by the cartels, which supported other candidates and bought votes more openly than ever before.  

The Mexican drug cartels are notoriously violent

In 2009, renowned experts had already presented evidence to the US Congress of the global perils posed by the Taliban and Mexico's cartels as "transnational drug-trafficking organizations" at a US Congress hearing, pointing out dangerous similarities that have only increased since then.

Afghanistan, Mexico and Myanmar control 95%

Roughly 95% of the world's opium poppies are cultivated in Afghanistan, Mexico and Myanmar, with all the illegal production and trafficking of heroin and other opiates that this entails. In Mexico, drug cartels are responsible for this and have the support of government officials.

In Afghanistan, according to US and UN documents, producers are in direct contact with the Taliban. They also were complicit with the government — including the US-backed one. Experts at the US Congress hearing in 2009 estimated that 50% of Afghanistan's GDP that year stemmed from the proceeds of the illegal drugs trade.

Often Afghan farmers cannot afford to cultivate other crops than poppies

The Taliban have always had an ambiguous attitude: Consumption of opiates is banned but not the cultivation and sale of opium poppies. According to a US State Department report released early this year, most opium production in Afghanistan was taking place in regions already under Taliban control or at least their influence. 

It said that the Taliban derived a considerable income from the trade, pointing out that this fueled conflict, undermined the state of law, encouraged corruption and was also a contributing factor to drug abuse in the country.

A UN report published in April corroborated these findings and drew a direct link between the Taliban and opium poppy cultivation. It said that the total area under opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan had increased between 2019 and 2020 from 163,000 to 224,000 hectares (402,780 to 553,500 acres). Moreover, though 21 hectares had been eradicated in 2019, none had been in 2020.

Could rivals work together?

The international narcotics business has spawned a number of cartels in Mexico. The Sinaloa Cartel is currently the fastest-growing one and controls the land where poppy cultivation is most profitable. It is thus a potential rival for the Taliban. But the fact that the cartel and the Islamist group serve different markets means that they could actually complement each other.

Opium poppy production is illegal in Mexico but highly lucrative

According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Sinoloa Cartel almost has a monopoly on the US heroin market. The Pentagon believes it to be present in 60% of the world's countries from EU and West African states to India, China and Russia — all nations where drugs from Afghanistan are also sold. 

For the moment, the Mexican cartel is mostly responding to demand for South American-made cocaine and synthetic drugs. But it would not be the first time that organizations, which are actually in competition, came together to increase their profits and political influence. 

Translated from a German adaptation of a Spanish text written by the Mexican journalist and author Anabel Hernandez, who has been living in Europe ever since receiving threats in her home country. In 2019, she won the DW Freedom of Speech Award.

dw

40 comments:

  1. Animo Sicarios!
    "Estoy en la lista de los más buscados
    En el mundo entero, ya todos lo saben
    Medios me comparan con ese Bin Laden
    Porque también cuento con mis TALIBANES!
    701 a mí me califican en la revista de los millonarios
    De ricos influyentes que cargan billetes
    Pero mi riqueza es la amistad de mi gente
    Que andan ofreciendo 10 milloncitos
    Por mi cabeza y la de mi compadre
    En los Estados Unidos de sabe
    Ni doble recompensa va a poder ayudarles
    Cuando estás abajo, sí se sufre mucho
    Cuando estás arriba, sufres mucho más
    Porque es un deber a la gente ayudar
    Y si pierdes a un hijo, nunca lo has de olvidar
    Hay que brindar por los que están ausentes
    También por mi gente que ahora está presente
    Mi compadre Mayo, estamos bien pendientes
    Alfredo e Iván, que también son Guzmán
    No creo que ocupe decirles mi nombre
    Ya está en la revista que se llama Forbes
    Está publicado entre los más buscados
    Soy por el cual piden solo 5 millones"


    #701 al 100 todo el equipo de Talibanes Fuerzas Especiales de Culiacan!
    EL Señor tambien sus Talibanes

    ReplyDelete
  2. Como que form? Esa plaza es de Mexico ja. Porque no seh sabe esto? Plazotota Ameribota.ah estamos.

    ReplyDelete
  3. The cartels would be stupid to work with such groups if a terrorist got thru using their networks the borders would shutdown and they wouldnt be able to move any thing not drugs not people and everything going into Mexico would be under scrutiny shutting down all the iron rivers and currency tidal waves they have become accustomed too . Plus the religious differences play a big part of why they havent teamed up yet . Mexicans dont like to loose and after the ass whoopin the muslims put on the christians during the crusades , Forget about it .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Like dude it's not a far fetch idea, here in the border we deal with middle eastern males who at times some arw on terror watch list that are indeed apprehended attempting to cross the southern border. Ask any LEO that works Frontera and they will tell you straight up it happens.

      Delete
  4. The cartels would be stupid to work with such groups if a terrorist got thru using their networks the borders would shutdown and they wouldnt be able to move any thing not drugs not people and everything going into Mexico would be under scrutiny shutting down all the iron rivers and currency tidal waves they have become accustomed too . Plus the religious differences play a big part of why they havent teamed up yet . Mexicans dont like to loose and after the ass whoopin the muslims put on the christians during the crusades , Forget about it .

    ReplyDelete
  5. I cannot believe that BB totally jumps on the anti-Taliban with a totally distorted article like this.

    FACT IS that the Taliban eradicated the production of poppy https://www.researchgate.net/publication/28576871_Where_have_all_the_flowers_gone_Evaluation_of_the_Taliban_crackdown_against_poppy_cultivation_in_Afghanistan

    FACT IS under the US lead government poppy production boomed.

    FACT IS everywhere where US supported government rule drug production booms!

    I am disappointed that BB does not exercise a bit more discretion and publishes article with obvious omission of crucial facts like this.


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. George, there is some more backstory to this. During the 1990s, the Taliban controlled and taxed opium production there. Starting in 1997 til 2000/2001 they started banning production in order to receive humanitarian aid from the US/UN.

      After that, the Northern Alliance were the ones producing opium to fund their fight, it is alleged that this was allowed to continue after the invasion to help them fight the Taliban/etc. Recently, the Taliban took up opium production to fund themselves, with it said that 90% of the territories that have been producing opium are under their control.

      Its said that $68 billion worth of opium is produced each year, and with a GDP of $19 billion, with likely 75% of that and the US funding gone now, the Taliban will likely look to this market to fund themselves and receive support/business with China.

      The only alliance I really see with Mexican DTOs is them sourcing the opium there for their European markets as opposed to smuggling from Mexico, but don't see it as an alliance, just a purchasing source.

      Delete
    2. @Socalj lots of 'it's said' and 'it's likely' in your statements. Now those sources that you quote are most likely highly unlikely 'stories' that our mainstream government fed mainstream media has us all believe. That same mainstream media which conveniently keeps quite about the bloodshed and mayhem that our uncle Sam sponsors in Mex.

      Delete
    3. George, here are a couple quick sources George outlining some of the history. And productions levels by year that you can reference what/who was largely in charge during that point.

      https://www.addictioncenter.com/news/2021/08/taliban-afghanistans-opium-production/

      https://www.unodc.org/documents/crop-monitoring/Afghanistan/20210503_Executive_summary_Opium_Survey_2020_SMALL.pdf

      Delete
    4. It's funny because when I was in Afghanistan rolling with the 6th Kandak of the 205th Corp down in the wonderful cinematic region of Kandahar in the Pa'in Kaley area the poppy fields that we would roll on where indeed Talib. Up in De maiwand the talibs had cheechans running security on the fields sooooo if you haven't been there or actually know people still there don't talk nonsense they are drug traffickers. It's the fastest easiest way to make money.

      Delete
    5. Your wasting time with George,vthe more you explain the more he goes off track.

      Delete
  6. Yes, since the Biden Administration is so weak

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ahh Carlos they are busy changing diapers on the imagrants lol.

      Delete
    2. Lol Carlos your need to change your own diaper.

      Delete
  7. Mexican dtos have gravitated more towards fentanyl, some independent opium farmers cant sell their once valuable crops anymore, Mexican smack is still being made and sold but with bigger profit margins to be made i doubt there will be any collaboration or rivalry between them. I did read a article saying Afghanistan might become a new meth making hub and be later sold to Australia and Europe.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This allegiance is not in the best interests of the cartels. This would give the US government an opportunity to fully deploy the military into Mexico and other Latin American countries because the cartels would actually be labeled as terrorists organizations.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They want to employ US troops in Mexico Mexico that would be like a green light for Russia and China to start shift

      Delete
    2. No mames wey can you image Strykers and MGSs rolling thru Lazaro Cardenas in chicali ?

      Delete
  9. Man, daddy’s on your mind like that. Keep it up. 👍

    ReplyDelete
  10. Animo Sicarios !

    The Taliban ended the practice of "Bacha Bazi" a disgusting practice of the Northen Alliance USA supported Pedofiles.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yes, you are lying. There’s more being done here other than the copy and paste you’re constantly complaining about. There’s also detailed work from others. As well as whole video translations with slang being explained for those who don’t know a lick of it to save themselves. Something you’re not gonna see to often elsewhere. It’s easy to complain. Any moron can do that. But it’s quite another thing to put in actual work where your time is being used to do it. I’m still the person having to delete most of those moronic things you like to say. Sometimes if I’m being lazy about it I delete everything you say regardless of how beneficial your words may have been for others. Like I said it takes time. And I’m not that guy you want to piss off with clown comments. You will fall into formation with me. Otherwise, you know what time it is baby girl.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Well, first of.. the U.S already took over Mexico in the The mexican-America war..
    Mexivo and latin America are puppets for the 🇺🇸..
    That's the reason America sends special forces, CIA ,DEA and whatever agencies they please all over Mexico..
    Do they do that in Russia or China? NO

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. No no no stop hulicating, no the US has not taken over Mexico.

      Delete
    2. 11:12 you don't know about history I see

      In every war there is always a peace treaty..

      Just like 🇺🇸 did with Japan, now there's military bases all over their their land

      Delete
    3. You need to go back to your history books,von what happened with Japan in the 1940s, also read up on Pearl Harbor. Your jumping to kiddish conclusions. Read before you blame.

      Delete
    4. 1:39 how would that prove otherwise?

      Delete
  13. Aldo reminds me of a slick sleeve e4 who just bitches and complains about going to the field lol. Dam Sol brought out that Senior NCO knife hand, and handed the big papi verbiage. Stay 10-8 folks

    ReplyDelete
  14. Go get your news from the original sources then Captain!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Go get your news from the original sources then Captain!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Sol private Aldo Waldo don't realize the time you take on they matter that helps us know more about Mexicos bissues.

    ReplyDelete
  17. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The orange poppies are native to California and cover hillsides in the spring and cause traffic accidents.

      Delete
  18. You plant those poppy plants in your casa in California, your fair game amiga. It literally takes 20 minutes to secure a search warrant electronicly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. She is not telling know one where they are at, so puppy not to worry.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    4. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
  19. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete

Comments are moderated, refer to policy for more information.
Envía fotos, vídeos, notas, enlaces o información
Todo 100% Anónimo;

borderlandbeat@gmail.com