Drugs, Death, and Disorder: How Europe Risks Becoming the Cartels’ Playground

This crime is part of a disturbing trend, including grenade attacks, kidnappings, and plots against officials, as drug-related criminality has surpassed terrorism to become the new narco-terrorism. Antwerp, the main entry point for 40% of Europe’s cocaine trade, lies at the center of this crisis. With over 110 tons of cocaine seized in 2023 alone, cartels are operating with growing audacity, seemingly unafraid of authorities. This infiltration destabilizes Belgian institutions and threatens the broader European Union.

Drugs in Europe: Diversification, Rising Consumption, and Policy Failures

Drug consumption in Europe has surged to alarming levels, fueled by an unprecedented diversification of substances. Once dominated by heroin and cocaine, the market now includes synthetic drugs, methamphetamines, and aphrodisiacs. The European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) describes Europe as hosting the world’s most diverse drug market.

Technological advancements have exacerbated the issue. Encrypted networks and online platforms make accessing drugs as easy as ordering a meal. Despite these developments, Europe’s anti-drug policies remain outdated, rooted in strategies designed to combat the heroin epidemics of previous decades.

The European approach, which rests on three pillars—reducing supply, lowering demand, and mitigating social harm—has proven inadequate. Poor coordination between member states, insufficient resources, and failure to adapt to new challenges have allowed the drug trade to flourish. Meanwhile, the growing power of cartels and their infiltration into institutions further highlight the ineptness of state responses.

The Threat of Continental Narco-State

The inadequacy of Europe’s drug policies is exposing large segments of our administrations and political systems to the growing influence of drug cartels. Armed with vast financial and technological resources, these criminal networks adapt quickly, evading enforcement efforts and exploiting gaps in regulation. In 2024, drug seizures at the Port of Rotterdam dropped significantly. This decline does not necessarily reflect a decrease in consumption but rather underscores the adaptability of criminal networks—while also acknowledging the effective efforts of law enforcement where possible—as they redirect their operations to less-monitored ports through ingenious and resilient “cascade” systems. Traffickers move from port to port, ”sliding” between locations. Their mobility and adaptability enable them to exploit logistical vulnerabilities across borders, making enforcement of the law increasingly challenging.

Could Europe then risk becoming a vast version of Amsterdam—an ”Eursterdam”—where the normalization of certain behaviors and impotence in the face of criminal networks ultimately blur the lines between legality and complacency?

Amsterdam and Brussels: Showcase of Laxity or Harbingers of a European Narco-State?

The Dutch capital serves as a troubling example of what Europe could become if it remains overly permissive in the face of narcotrafficking. The legalization of cannabis, initially viewed as a progressive policy, has drawn visitors from around the world seeking to indulge themselves. Inevitably, now hard drugs—chiefly cocaine—are circulating more freely in the city. Prostitution, epitomized by the famous Red Light District, completes the image of a city seen as a hedonistic paradise. Yet behind this facade, Amsterdam has transformed into an uninhabitable city: pervasive filth, rising violence, and a drug trade that undermines the rule of law itself.

The Netherlands faces a national crisis, as cartel violence—particularly from the “Mocro Maffia”—escalates. What began as an urban issue has grown into a threat to national stability. Belgium and other states mirror this trend.

Reinventing Narco-Politics

The cases of the Netherlands and Belgium demand a redefinition of the concept of ”narco-politics”. Traditionally, this term refers to the control exerted by drug traffickers over political and administrative institutions. However, these cases reveal a different dimension: the fear of confronting cartels and the resulting leniency. Globalization and advances in logistics have bolstered these criminal organizations, making their operations more agile and their influence deeper. European states, however, are struggling to respond in a unified and decisive manner. This shift in focus represents a first step toward the infiltration of cartels into our administrative structures, with laxity enabling their rise.

The question of drug legalization inevitably arises. Is it truly a solution? Some argue that legalizing drugs would allow the state to transform and regulate the black market, thereby reducing both violence and health risks linked to adulterated substances. However, legalization appears to be an overly simplistic and convenient solution—one that avoids confronting the core problem by merely removing it from the equation. It is akin to abolishing grade repetition in schools and then claiming educational standards have improved because no pupil repeats a year. To be sure, criminals may turn into white-collar professionals, but would life truly be better as a result?

Studies consistently show that drug consumption increases once substances are legalized, as access becomes easier—particularly for younger populations. What risks, then, are we prepared to take? Should Europe follow Ecuador’s recent example of adopting a zero-tolerance drug policy, or instead legalize and hypocritically pretend the problem has been resolved?

Would our health policies then still hold any meaning? Should citizens who abstain from drug use be expected to bear the cost of hospitalizing those who do?

With the threat of Europe becoming an open market for drugs looming, Europe must instead adopt a more coherent and ambitious strategy. This should include a common continent-wide repression policy, reinforced by strong partnerships with antidrug forces from Latin American, i.e. the producing countries. A failure to act could transform major European ports and capitals—such as Antwerp and Rotterdam, Brussels and Amsterdam—into hubs of organized crime – if they are not already.

Towards an “Eursterdam”?

Without a cohesive drug strategy, Europe risks descending into a continental narco-state. Half-hearted measures and complacency enable cartels to strengthen their grip on institutions and society. Legalization itself does not appear to be a viable solution; at the very least, it carries significant disadvantages. Caution is essential when discussing this issue. For instance, studies show that legalizing only cannabis leads to increased consumption and triggers a domino effect, bringing hard drugs closer than ever while allowing the black market to persist. If all drugs were legalized, what would that mean for our healthcare resources?

This dual crisis—rising drug consumption and the growing power of cartels—requires urgent action. Europe must transcend its fragmented policies and adopt a comprehensive approach to safeguard public health and institutional integrity. Failure to act decisively will leave Europe at the mercy of criminal networks and the normalization of behaviors that threaten the very fabric of its society.

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