Sean Williams and Kevin Knodell examine the evolution of drug trafficking across the Pacific, tracing how Latin American cartels have shifted their focus to New Zealand and Australia. They expose the alarming rise of the "Pacific Drug Highway," uncovering a web of criminal networks that are now infiltrating small island nations. The piece delves into the societal impacts, including addiction crises and corruption, as these regions struggle to cope with the influx of narcotics.
To many outside the region, the Pacific can appear intimidating — even terrifying — in its vastness. But the ancestors of Oceania’s Indigenous people navigated, settled and fished its 60 million square miles in simple outrigger canoes. In these tiny and dispersed places, it is often said that water connects communities rather than separates them. Now, Latin American drug lords are using the same currents and trade winds that islanders have relied on for centuries to connect and expand their colossal, criminal empires.
Even in the European ports of Rotterdam and Antwerp, authorities are only able to search 8% of containers. In New Zealand, that figure is 2%. In some Pacific Island nations, it’s closer to zero. For this reason, busting shipments is almost entirely reliant on human intelligence, which becomes tougher if cartels pay off or threaten workers. According to Berry, cartels can lose 9 out of 10 shipments and still make a profit. And besides, they’re still innovating.