transition to fentanyl

Changes and continuities of the drug market in Mexico (2015-2022)

Abstract

Mexico has been, at least since the 1940s, an important poppy and marihuana producer. By the 1980s, the country had been consolidated as a drug trafficking bridge between South America and the United States. However, the consumption of synthetic opioids in the United States, and supply of chemical precursors from India and China suggest a new reconfiguration of Mexico’s role in the global drug landscape. This article analyzes how Mexican drug-trafficking networks have altered since the rise of synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl. It also aims to comprehend the socioeconomic consequences of this transformation, its impact on violence indexes, on the design of public policies and the binational relations between Mexico and the United States.