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.
Investigation Chapters
Narco-Cattle Ranching in La Mosquitia, Honduras
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 cattle ranching.
The Secrets of Cattle Smuggling from Guatemala to Veracruz, Mexico
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
How Black Market Ear Tags Help Flow of Contraband Cattle
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 those animals are also exported abroad to serve international markets, such as the United States. But underneath it all, there is a thriving black market…
