Europe is witnessing an unprecedented surge in cocaine trafficking through a dangerous new route linking Venezuelan gangs with African jihadist groups, creating a complex security challenge with global implications.
The New Cocaine Highway: Venezuela to West Africa
Venezuela has transformed into a primary launchpad for massive cocaine shipments heading to West Africa, where informal networks of jihadist-linked smugglers then transport the drugs northward to feed Europe's growing appetite for narcotics. According to international law-enforcement officials, corrupt military officers and drug gangs are utilizing multiple smuggling methods including light aircraft, fishing boats, semi-submersible vessels and freighters moving eastward across the Atlantic.
The shift toward Venezuela comes as unprecedented levels of cocaine production in Colombia have overwhelmed traditional smuggling routes. Traffickers are exploiting Venezuela's strategic location, ineffective security institutions and extensive coastline to establish new supply chains. This development has contributed to rising cocaine consumption worldwide in regions that previously weren't major markets, from Australia to Eastern Europe, according to United Nations drug researchers.
Jihadists and Corrupt Officials: A Dangerous Alliance
In West Africa, smugglers connect with al Qaeda-affiliated groups that provide escort services for drug cargoes moving northward while extorting payments from overland convoys. This collaboration represents part of a growing global alignment among criminal gangs, militant groups and rogue governments that threatens democratic norms and social stability worldwide.
Retired U.S. military intelligence officer Jesus Romero emphasized the transformation in cocaine trafficking, stating: "Cocaine in the 1980s is not the same as the one we see today. There are direct linkages to terrorist organizations to support their cause."
The situation has become so severe that cocaine seizures in Europe now exceed those in North America, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, reflecting the surging trans-Atlantic drug flows.
Record Seizures and Smuggling Methods
Multiple high-profile cases illustrate the scale and sophistication of this trafficking network:
In September last year, two cocaine-laden Gulfstream private jets took off from a makeshift airstrip in Apure, a Venezuelan state bordering Colombia. One aircraft was seized in Guinea-Bissau with 2.6 tons of cocaine aboard—a record seizure for the West African nation long known as a narcotics hub. The second aircraft reached Burkina Faso, another country struggling with Islamist extremists.
Current and former Western officials indicate traffickers are flying at least one cargo weekly from Venezuela to West Africa. Smugglers employ sophisticated evasion techniques, turning off aircraft transponders and bribing air-traffic controllers to disable tracking systems when drug planes pass overhead.
Corruption at airports has enabled organized criminals to ship substantial drug quantities via commercial airliners. In 2013, shortly after Nicolás Maduro's election, a British trafficker shipped almost 1.4 tons of cocaine hidden in suitcases on a Caracas-to-Paris flight, later seized by French police.
Maritime routes also play a significant role. Spanish authorities last December seized 3.3 tons of cocaine aboard a Spain-bound Venezuelan fishing vessel near the Canary Islands. Another vessel, the MV Matthew, which set Ireland's seizure record with 2.2 tons of cocaine in 2023, had loaded drugs in waters near Venezuela.
Political Dimensions and International Response
The Trump administration's pressure campaign against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro—whom it accuses of deep involvement in drug smuggling—has brought global attention to Venezuela's role in the international drug trade. Maduro has consistently denied these allegations.
While Trump has ordered strikes on boats allegedly carrying drugs to the U.S. from Venezuela, experts note the South American country sends far more narcotics for distribution to Europe, primarily through West Africa and nearby islands.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio cited Venezuela's role as a drug transit hub to justify U.S. strikes on alleged drug boats, suggesting European critics should "maybe they should be thanking us" rather than criticizing American actions.
European law-enforcement authorities have intensified cooperation with African nations but struggle to keep pace with rising drug volumes. The fight has suffered setbacks in the Sahel region due to cooperation breakdowns following military coups.
Aurélien Llorca, a fellow at the Geneva Graduate Institute who investigated the illicit trade, noted: "Coups and instability are making things worse" in combating this transnational criminal network.
As the convergence of drug smugglers, jihadists and corrupt officials continues, this emerging alliance represents one of the most significant security challenges facing Europe and the international community, with profound potential ramifications for global stability and democratic norms.
