SOURCE: STRATFOR GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE; U.S. DRUG ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION; COURT FILINGS
The price rises at each step (estimated prices are per kilo).
1. The Sinaloa cartel buys cocaine from producers in the Andean highlands.
Price: $2,200
2. Cocaine moves to harbors in Colombia.
Price: $5,000 to $7,000
3. From Colombia, cocaine moves through various parts of Mexico, often along the Sinaloa-controlled Pacific coast or in cities along Mexico’s Caribbean coastline.
Price: $16,000
4. Next, it’s smuggled across the U.S. border, usually at crossings along Southern California or Texas.
Price: $24,000
5. Cocaine arrives in Chicago. Some stays there.
Price: $35,000
6. The rest moves on to other U.S. cities—including Milwaukee, Detroit, Cleveland, and those on the East Coast—and beyond into Canada.
Price: Varies by market
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