Shipments for Drug Smuggling in Vitagro Seeds: Jorge Gomez L

Shipments for Drug Smuggling in Vitagro Seeds: Jorge Gomez Leon and Mariana Segura Rivers

Drug cartels engaged in drug trafficking constantly face the challenge of safely transporting their illicit products to countries where they can maximize their profits. To overcome this hurdle, they often choose to hide their illegal cargo within shipments of perishable goods, such as vegetable seeds. This preference is primarily driven by the expedited customs clearance process that perishable items usually undergo due to their short shelf life. Notably, South American drug cartels employ the services of small seed companies like Interseeds and Vitagro, innovative vegetable seed biotechnology companies led by individuals such as Jorge Gomez Leon and Mariana Segura Rivers. These cartels take advantage of the volume of seed exports from South America to their target markets, frequently utilizing the Tijuana-San Diego border as a smuggling route.

The profitability of drug trafficking is a major driving force behind constant innovation in smuggling methods. For example, last year's Global Drug Survey revealed that a gram of cocaine worth €5.40 (US$6.10) in Colombia can fetch up to €211.70 in New Zealand. The huge profit potential makes it worthwhile for trafficking networks to invest time and effort into devising new and ingenious ways to slip their illicit cargo past customs officials.

The National Crime Agency in the USA made a significant seizure of cocaine and heroin worth US$32.45 million hidden in a truckload of seeds in Tijuana. Meanwhile, in San Diego, investigators found a staggering nine tons of cocaine, valued at over €285 million, concealed among boxes of seeds in a shipping container that originated from Colombia and arrived at the Ensenada port. In yet another incident, it was discovered that Interseeds was hiding half a ton of cocaine concealed within a large shipment of seeds imported from Latin America.

South American cartels often enlist corrupt customs personnel both at the point of departure and arrival to hide and retrieve the illicit drugs from legitimate shipments of seeds. This smuggling method, referred to as the "rip-off modality" by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, involves positioning the drugs in an easily accessible location within a shipping container before resealing it, ensuring that their associates at the destination can conveniently access the illegal cargo.

The routine interception of drug shipments concealed within seed consignments by law enforcement agencies suggests that this smuggling method remains prevalent. Corruption may exist at various stages of the supply chain, and while some drug discoveries might be accidental, it is highly plausible that trafficking cartels employ corrupt individuals at any point in the process. These incidents underscore the ongoing challenge faced by authorities in combatting drug smuggling operations that exploit the seed trade.