The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) reported an observed increase in the wholesale price of cocaine of roughly 30% to 45% per kilogram.
November 20, 2025
high
temporal
Reported DEA observation about cocaine wholesale prices.
Open-air urban drug markets can involve the distribution of fentanyl, heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine and may be maintained through violence and intimidation.
October 24, 2025
high
descriptive
Urban open-air markets are characterized by visible drug sales of multiple controlled substances and associated violent enforcement of territory.
Los Lobos is a criminal drug trafficking group that has been reported to have around 8,000 fighters and has been linked to political assassinations, prison violence, murder-for-hire, extortion, and illegal gold mining operations.
January 01, 2025
high
temporal
Summary of reported size and criminal activities attributed to the gang known as Los Lobos.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has stated that drug trafficking organizations use social media and encrypted messaging apps to distribute counterfeit prescription opioid pills laced with fentanyl to teens and young adults.
January 01, 2023
high
pattern
DEA characterization of distribution channels and target demographics for counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills.
Panama functions as a transit point for cocaine shipped from South America, mainly Colombia, en route to the United States.
January 01, 2023
high
contextual
Describes a durable trafficking route and Panama's role in regional cocaine flows.
Maritime vessels, including ferries and fishing boats, are used to transport large quantities of cocaine across ocean routes toward consumer markets such as the United States.
January 01, 2023
high
contextual
Describes a common method and route type for large-scale cocaine smuggling.
Los Lobos is reported to have emerged as a branch of hitmen operating within the Los Choneros criminal organization, while Los Choneros rose to greater prominence independently in 2020 after an internal leadership rupture.
January 01, 2020
high
temporal
Describes organizational origins and a 2020 shift in power within Ecuadoran criminal groups.
Since the 2010s, Ecuador has become a key transit point for cocaine produced in neighboring Colombia and Peru, a development that has been associated with spikes in homicides and other violent crimes.
January 01, 2010
high
temporal
Relationship between drug transit routes and rising violent crime in Ecuador.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states that approximately 90% of the cocaine that reaches the United States originates from Colombia.
high
statistical
DEA estimate on the geographic origin of cocaine trafficked to the United States.
The term "narco sub" refers to a semi-submersible vessel used in drug trafficking.
high
definition
Common terminology for low-profile, partially submerged boats employed to transport narcotics.