El Salvador torches $70 million in cocaine to tackle drug cartels

The authorities of El Salvador are fighting drug smugglers. In May, police officers seized almost three metric tons of cocaine. To prevent further trade, the officers decided to burn the confiscated drugs. The total value of the incinerated cocaine was nearly $70 million.

Central and South American countries have been struggling with the drug crisis for years. Cartels operating in their territory are continually growing in power, leading to bloody conflicts on the streets. Countries particularly associated with the drug business are Colombia and Mexico, but smuggling and distribution of illegal substances have a much broader reach. Cocaine and other drugs are mainly smuggled into the United States and Europe, but real drug lords can find customers everywhere.

The presidents and governments of Central and South American countries are trying to combat the cartels, often risking their own lives and those of their families. The likelihood of an "accidental" death increases directly proportional to the level of involvement in the fight against the lords. The authorities of El Salvador have embarked on a war against smugglers. Police officers in the country, which borders Guatemala and Honduras, seized 2.7 metric tons of cocaine in May.

The drugs were seized on May 10, about 1,630 kilometres from the country’s coast. The smugglers turned out to be two citizens of Colombia, two of Ecuador, and three of Mexico. 2.7 metric tons of cocaine were secured on their boat. The Office of the Attorney General of El Salvador reports that the drugs, with a total value of $67 million, were set on fire on Monday, June 10, at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time in the city of Ilopango, east of the country's capital, San Salvador.

The authorities of El Salvador have not disclosed the charges and penalties that the detained smugglers face. The operation is part of the fight against drug gangs, declared over two years ago by the country’s president, Nayib Bukele. In 2023, the man declared El Salvador the "safest" nation on the continent, and his actions are aimed at the complete cessation of drug trade and transport.