Most of the foreign-based drugs are available in U.S market through land smuggling. This is one of the major routes for drugs smuggling. From Mexico and Canada border, this type of smuggling is going on. Many routes and methods for Cocaine, Heroin, Methamphetamine, and Marijuana into the United States appear to have shifted because of the heavy law enforcement pressure.
Cocaine is one of the major illicit drugs, which are smuggled through land routes. There are significant shifts in cocaine smuggling routes. This is mainly due to the following factors:
- Decreased cocaine production in Colombia
- Enhanced counter drug efforts in Mexico
- High levels of cartel violence
- Sustained interdiction pressure
- Cocaine flow to non U.S markets
A decline in the amount of cocaine seized is noticed whereas there is a huge increment of heroin availability in U.S drugs market. This shift in smuggling trend appears to be directly related to production trends and the changing roles of DTOs. For the past several years, heroin is smuggled more than cocaine in U.S market.
All these factors visualize that there is a huge change in overland smuggling method. Year by year many major changes were noticed. Many factors are responsible for this type of change.