Mexico cocaine seizures may reflect World Cup demand, experts say

TLAXCALA, Mexico, June 30 - Two major Mexican seizures of cocaine this month, including a rare bust in a state neighboring Mexico City, suggest the cartels are moving greater quantities of the drug into the capital to meet a demand spike linked to the World Cup, according to analysts.

On June 22, security forces reported they had seized just over three metric tons of cocaine on the same day in two parts of the country, the western state of Guerrero and the central state of Tlaxcala.

Six security experts interviewed by Reuters pointed to the World Cup as a likely reason why cocaine would be moving through Tlaxcala, a landlocked state not known for being a trafficking route.

"The increase in demand expected for the World Cup in Mexico City may have led criminal groups to increase their supply in warehouses near Mexico City, which facilitated such a large seizure," said Andrés Sumano, a security expert at El Colegio de la Frontera Norte in Tijuana.

"Just like any company does at massive events... large groups that are dedicated to drug trafficking have more drugs in warehouses to be able to meet the demand," Sumano added.

Three drug dealers in Mexico City interviewed by Reuters said they had seen demand increase as a result of the World Cup, for which Mexico was expecting 5.5 million visitors.

“This is a business, and if the client wants something, then we have to see how we're going to give them what they're looking for,” said a Mexican dealer who asked not to be named, but acknowledged that international events like the World Cup are always a “good opportunity” to boost sales.

Neither the Mexico City government nor the presidency replied to a request for comment. Authorities did not link the busts to the World Cup in their announcement.

Antonio Martínez, spokesperson for the Tlaxcala government, said the seizure in his state "does not constitute evidence that Tlaxcala is a center of operation or distribution for organized crime, nor is there any information that allows linking this fact to international events."

Vicente Sánchez, a researcher with Mexico's National System of Researchers, said a link to the World Cup seemed the most likely explanation for why there would be such a large amount of cocaine being stored in a location in Tlaxcala.

"The hypothesis is that this unusual seizure in Tlaxcala could be linked to drug use, such as cocaine, around the time of the World Cup, especially given its proximity to Mexico City," he said. REUTERS