Part 5/14:
Williams explains how these groups capitalize on the Pacific's geography, using ships—sometimes hidden in creative ways, like in diamond-encrusted horse heads—to move their product. The routes connect Latin America, through French Polynesia's Marquesas, then extend around the vast ocean to Australia, New Zealand, and beyond.
The "Pacific Drug Highway" and Its Strategic Importance
The term "Pacific Drug Highway" describes this extensive maritime network that brokers vast quantities of illicit substances across the Pacific basin. The route stretches from South America (notably Ecuador and Colombia), sailing across French Polynesian islands, Micronesia, and Polynesia, before reaching Australia and New Zealand.