HomeNewsBriefBengal Tigers, Deer Found at Mexican Meth Lab
BRIEF

Bengal Tigers, Deer Found at Mexican Meth Lab

MEXICO / 1 MAR 2013 BY JAMES BARGENT EN

Mexican police investigating a tip-off in Jalisco state discovered not only a methamphetamine lab but also two Bengal tigers and several deer, which were likely destined for one of the "narco-zoos" popular with wealthy drug kingpins.

Police raided two sites after locals reported seeing armed men on a ranch near the border between Jalisco and Zacatecas, reported El Universal. At the first were the caged but apparently healthy animals and a strong smell of precursor chemicals. At the second were 15 vats and equipment for production of methamphetamine.

By the time the authorities arrived, the sites had been abandoned, and no arrests were made.

InSight Crime Analysis

Perhaps inspired by Pablo Escobar's famous Hacienda Napoles ranch in Colombia, and its menagerie of exotic animals -- now a popular theme park -- rare and unusual creatures have become something of a status symbol for Mexican traffickers. The practice has become so widespread that the Mexican authorities have had problems rehousing all the animals seized from narco-zoos on traffickers' properties.

International police body Interpol estimates the global trade in wildlife trafficking to be worth $10-20 billion a year, and says that Latin American criminal groups act as traffickers as well as purchasers. A recent investigation into the trade in Bolivia revealed the extent of the practice in the country, where captured exotic animals are both exported and sold domestically in markets as pets, food and for use in rituals. The most popular animals sold as pets are parrots and other talking birds, turtles and monkeys, according to FM Bolivia.

Colombia has also emerged as a hotspot in animal trafficking, and the trade there is reportedly worth an estimated $35 million a year. In 2012 Colombian police rescued over 46,000 illegaly trafficked animals.

share icon icon icon

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

What are your thoughts? Click here to send InSight Crime your comments.

We encourage readers to copy and distribute our work for non-commercial purposes, with attribution to InSight Crime in the byline and links to the original at both the top and bottom of the article. Check the Creative Commons website for more details of how to share our work, and please send us an email if you use an article.

Tags

Was this content helpful?

We want to sustain Latin America’s largest organized crime database, but in order to do so, we need resources.

DONATE

Related Content

EL SALVADOR / 13 DEC 2021

Efforts to reduce gang violence are often thought of as highly dependent on local conditions, but a recent report looks…

COCAINE / 13 JAN 2023

Dutch authorities have seized three Mexican drug loads at Schiphol Airport, marking a new trafficking trend for Europe.

ELITES AND CRIME / 30 SEP 2021

Evidence and accusations are piling up against Mexico's former top security official Genaro García Luna, as US prosecutors proffer new…

About InSight Crime

THE ORGANIZATION

All Eyes on Ecuador

2 JUN 2023

Our coverage of organized crime in Ecuador continues to be a valuable resource for international and local news outlets. Internationally, Reuters cited our 2022 Homicide Round-Up,…

WORK WITH US

Open Position: Social Media and Engagement Strategist

27 MAY 2023

InSight Crime is looking for a Social Media and Engagement Strategist who will be focused on maintaining and improving InSight Crime’s reputation and interaction with its audiences through publishing activities…

THE ORGANIZATION

Venezuela Coverage Receives Great Reception

27 MAY 2023

Several of InSight Crime’s most recent articles about Venezuela have been well received by regional media. Our article on Venezuela’s colectivos expanding beyond their political role to control access to…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime's Chemical Precursor Report Continues

19 MAY 2023

For the second week in a row, our investigation into the flow of precursor chemicals for the manufacture of synthetic drugs in Mexico has been cited by multiple regional media…

THE ORGANIZATION

InSight Crime’s Chemical Precursor Report Widely Cited

THE ORGANIZATION / 12 MAY 2023

We are proud to see that our recently published investigation into the supply chain of chemical precursors feeding Mexico’s synthetic drug production has been warmly received.