Local Rules, Global Lessons
Over the past decade, fentanyl has quietly reshaped drug markets in northern Mexico.
As criminal organizations in the country became major producers and exporters of the synthetic opioid to the United States, domestic consumption also emerged along key trafficking corridors, generating unprecedented public health and security pressures.
But this expansion has been uneven. Local criminal groups have been a key factor in determining what reaches consumers and under what conditions. In some cities along the border, these groups actively encouraged fentanyl use. In others, they restricted distribution, confining consumption to specific user niches.
As synthetic opioid markets continue to spread globally, the experiences in northern Mexico offer valuable lessons for designing more effective responses.
Explore the investigation
The PDF Report
Read InSight Crime’s full report on the evolution of fentanyl consumption dynamics in northern Mexico and the role that local criminal groups play in shaping it. We also analyze the state response to the problem, and offer recommendations for policymakers dealing with expanding synthetic opioid markets worldwide.
Explainers
Explore InSight Crime’s explainers on the trajectory of Mexico’s fentanyl market and the different models criminal groups have adopted to shape it.
Deep Dive
Explore InSight Crime’s deep dive into how criminal governance and decisions made by criminal groups have direct impacts on public health.
How Criminal Decisions Over the Drug Market Impact Public Health in Northern Mexico
As international drug policy increasingly moves toward public health strategies, the experiences in northern Mexico suggest that criminal control over local markets, and the decisions criminal actors make about supply, can severely challenge these efforts.
Read or listenListen to How Criminal Decisions Over the Drug Market Impact Public Health in Northern Mexico
Credits:
Project Director: Steven Dudley
Project Manager: Victoria Dittmar
Main investigator: Juan Carlos Garzón
Investigators: Angélica Ospina and Cecilia Farfán
Additional reporting: Bianca Acuña, Mike LaSusa, Mariana Fernández, and Natalia Hidalgo
Editors: Steven Dudley, Liza Schmidt, Creusa Muñoz, and María Fernanda Ramírez
Creative direction: Elisa Roldán Restrepo
Graphics: María Isabel Gaviria, Juan José Restrepo, and Isabella Soto
PDF layout: María Isabel Gaviria
Dissemination: Paula Rojas
Verter A. C., Prevencasa A. C., and Programa Compañeros A. C. contributed to this report.
