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Mexican drug cartels appear to be significantly increasing cocaine supplies to Mexico City, driven by World Cup demand, analysts suggest.

This follows two major seizures, including a rare bust in Tlaxcala, a state not typically a trafficking route but neighboring the capital.

On June 22, security forces confiscated over three metric tons of cocaine in separate operations across Guerrero and, unusually, in the central, landlocked state of Tlaxcala.

Six security experts told Reuters the World Cup likely caused the large quantity of cocaine in Tlaxcala.

Andrés Sumano, a security expert, explained, “The increase in demand expected for the World Cup in Mexico City may have led criminal groups to increase their supply in warehouses near Mexico City, which facilitated such a large seizure.”

He added, “Just like any company does at massive events… large groups that are dedicated to drug trafficking have more drugs in warehouses to be able to meet the demand.”

Three Mexico City drug dealers told Reuters they’ve observed a demand rise, supporting this theory.

(Reuters)

With Mexico expecting 5.5 million World Cup visitors, one unnamed dealer remarked, “This is a business, and if the client wants something, then we have to see how we’re going to give them what they’re looking for,” adding that international events are always a “good opportunity” to boost sales.

Despite analysts’ suggestions, Mexico City’s government and presidency did not comment, nor did authorities officially link the busts to the World Cup.

Antonio Martínez, spokesperson for the Tlaxcala government, explicitly stated the seizure “does not constitute evidence that Tlaxcala is a center of operation or distribution for organized crime, nor is there any information that allows linking this fact to international events.”

However, Vicente Sánchez, a researcher, reiterated the World Cup link as the most plausible explanation for the Tlaxcala cocaine cache.

“The hypothesis is that this unusual seizure in Tlaxcala could be linked to drug use, such as cocaine, around the time of the World Cup, especially given its proximity to Mexico City,” Sánchez concluded.