[USNBandit]

I wonder about the article you posted. It seems to promote the premise that the Mexican Cartels are importing heroin to Mexico in exchange for guns. I could see the Cartels trying to increase their supply of heroin, but not in exchange for guns. Guns are another commodity the Cartels have to import. While the numbers pushed by the Obama and Mexican administrations are bs, there are some weapons flowing south across the border due to lax security on the Mexican side. Why would the Mexicans be trading guns they need to Afghanistan which is overflowing with weapons?

Below is a chart showing the seizure percentages and origin for heroin, going back 35 years. It doesn't have recent years, but there would have to be a huge surge in Afghani heroin hitting the U.S. to make a dent in these percentages.

[blueplum]

ok. let’s look at this closer. What the author is claiming is, after the cartels pay their tab to Turkey, et al, they take their profits (cash/drugs) and buy arms from Albania and thereabouts, using European banks to launder the money. Some of the arms are used by the cartels, most are sold to other countries through illicit channels. (Which could explain how places like Somalia and NameAPlace have crazies that have armed to the teeth over the last ten or so years - and they’re not carrying Remingtons. And could also explain why every urban city is armed to the teeth despite our best efforts - drug dealers have ‘friends’ that are gun dealers). According to your chart, almost all of the heroin coming in, is from Mexico or South America. I can only guess that South America uses the same system as “Mexico”.

“Mexican groups are gaining a presence on the world stage , not only in drug trafficking, but also in the arms smuggling and money laundering schemes of Romania and Bulgaria”
and
“the drug cartels are using weapons manufactured in Asia; it is because of the fluid interchange of drugs and arms.”