Cash Cows - The Inner Workings of Cattle Trafficking from Central America to Mexico

ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME / 18 MAY 2022

The illegal trafficking of cattle, across country borders, has spread north from the natural reserves of Nicaragua, Honduras and Guatemala, to enter the food supply chain in Mexico and even the United States.

This trade has resulted in the deforestation of thousands of hectares and numerous acts of violence against Indigenous communities. Yet little is done to slow this growing economy which both satisfied the growing global demand for beef and helps to mask other criminal activities held in parallel, including cocaine trafficking and money laundering.

InSight Crime has followed step-by-step how these cattle are smuggled into Mexico, bringing in millions of dollars along the way.

Chapter 1

Narco-Cattle Ranching in La Mosquitia, Honduras

COCAINE / 18 MAY 2022

The jungle region known as La Mosquitia in northeast Honduras has been an ideal corridor for international drug trafficking. However, another criminal economy has emerged at the same time: illegal…

Chapter 2

The Secrets of Cattle Smuggling from Guatemala to Veracruz, Mexico

CONTRABAND / 18 MAY 2022

Ranchers from Mexico's eastern state of Veracruz know a way to buy cheap cattle: Drive to a remote part of the Chiapas-Guatemala border and purchase cows being brought illegally across…

Chapter 3

How Black Market Ear Tags Help Flow of Contraband Cattle

CONTRABAND / 18 MAY 2022

Cattle from Mexico and the Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua help feed the domestic beef markets of each of these countries. The processed byproducts of some of…

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