Venezuela has emerged as a major launchpad for cocaine flows to West Africa, where jihadist-linked smugglers escort loads north through the Sahel before shipping them into Europe to meet booming demand, according to law-enforcement and security officials.
The networks rely on light aircraft, fishing boats, semi-submersible vessels, and corrupt aviation and port systems, prompting warnings that “there are direct linkages to terrorist organizations to support their cause,” as retired U.S. intelligence officer Jesus Romero said, adding that the convergence of gangs, militants, and corrupt officials threatens security across regions.
Spanish, Irish, Portuguese, and other European authorities have reported record seizures tied to routes from Venezuela through nations such as Guinea-Bissau and Burkina Faso into Mali, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, and onward to Europe, while U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio defended American interdictions, arguing that instead of criticism “maybe they should be thanking us,” even as analysts warn instability and coups in the Sahel have weakened enforcement cooperation.