Part 4/14:
Williams draws attention to a landmark event: the discovery of 3.5 tons of cocaine washing ashore near New Zealand—the largest interdiction of its kind in the region. Interestingly, law enforcement agencies believe this shipment was not destined for New Zealand but was instead a transshipment point aimed at Australia, which, per capita, is one of the world's largest markets for cocaine, with prices reaching upwards of $400 per gram.
This indicates that the Pacific is becoming an increasingly critical highway for international drug trafficking networks. The cartels, historically concentrated in Mexico and South America, are expanding their reach, with groups like the CJNG (Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación) and fragments of the Sinaloa cartel active throughout the region.