Far removed from methamphetamine labs and fentanyl trafficking routes, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) has consolidated another criminal network with a significant environmental impact: mercury trafficking.
From mines in Querétaro to illegal camps in the Amazon, the metal travels thousands of kilometers to fuel clandestine gold mining, leaving a trail of pollution that is difficult to reverse.
The Los Santos mine, located in Bucareli, Querétaro, is one of the sources of the mercury that feeds this illegal network. According to the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), the metal extracted in the region is transported by land and sea routes under the control of the CJNG, reaching the Amazon rainforests of Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia.
The Amazon is contaminated by mercury because this metal is used in large quantities in illegal gold mining to separate the precious metal from the sediments.
During the process, mercury is released into rivers and soils, where it transforms into toxic compounds that accumulate in the food chain and affect both wildlife and human communities. This contamination causes neurological damage and chronic illnesses, as well as biodiversity loss and serious alterations to Amazonian ecosystems.
The Mongabay Latam report attributes the leadership of this network to the CJNG cartel, which has diversified its criminal activities. “More than 200 tons of mercury have left Mexico for the Amazon,” the EIA stated in comments reported by Mongabay Latam.
The price of mercury on the black market has reached up to $330 per kilogram, generating a “mercury rush” among organized crime, comparable to that of gold or cocaine. Mexico has consolidated its position as the main illegal supplier of this substance to Latin America.
According to data, the mercury extracted by the cartel is smuggled out of the country hidden as gravel or crushed stone in containers weighing up to 20 tons. 74% of the suspicious shipments documented between 2017 and 2023 were destined for Peru, where an increase in mercury-related illnesses has been reported.
In Peru, the Mexican mercury is stored in cities like Arequipa and distributed to illegal mining areas in the Peruvian Amazon, primarily Madre de Dios, where demand reaches 1.5 tons per month. Its passage through Colombia via Medellín has also been documented.
The interest of organized crime, beyond the CJNG, in mining stems from its enormous economic potential and the ease with which it can operate outside the law. The sector generates more than 330 billion pesos annually and allows for a constant flow of resources, far greater than other sectors such as extortion.
The extraction and sale of minerals offer additional advantages for money laundering, as gold, silver, and other metals are easily mixed with legal production, making them difficult to trace.
Unlike drug trafficking, illicit mining is less visible and can be camouflaged as legitimate operations. Control of mines and extraction routes grants cartels territorial power, facilitating the displacement of communities, access to strategic resources, and the use of violence as a mechanism of social pressure and repression.
Furthermore, the foray into mining diversifies the income sources of criminal groups, allowing them to withstand state intervention and consolidate their presence as multifaceted conglomerates.
Seven metals and minerals are of particular interest to the cartels due to their value, global demand, and ease of trafficking or mixing with legitimate production:
Gold: Its high price and ease of money laundering make it a primary target.
Silver: Mexico is one of the world’s largest producers, with mines controlled by various cartels.
Copper: Essential for the electrical and construction industries, its illegal transport and trade have become commonplace.
Lithium: Strategic for its use in batteries and technology, with deposits in the north under limited surveillance.
Mercury: Key for separating gold in artisanal mining, the CJNG extracts and exports it to South America.
Barite: Used in the oil industry, mined and exported under criminal control.
Iron: Fundamental for the steel industry, historically exploited by organizations such as the Knights Templar. Control of these resources guarantees millions in revenue, allows for money laundering, access to strategic materials, and the exercise of social and territorial control in large regions of the country.
Source: infobae
