This superbly edited volume provides scholars and general readers with an in depth view of the evolution, nature, dynamics, and consequences of the global cocaine industry. Cocaine: The Global Reach of the World's Most Lucrative Illicit Drug offers an unprecedented global analysis of the cocaine trade, revealing how the world's most lucrative illicit market operates today. Unlike previous works that focus on individual countries or regions, this volume takes a global view of the cocaine supply chain, tracking the drug's journey from coca fields in the Andes to consumers in New York, Lagos, Rotterdam, Sydney, and beyond. With contributions from leading scholars in criminology, sociology, and political science, it sheds light on the expanding networks of criminal organizations that connect producer countries in Latin America to consumer markets worldwide. The book explores the profound transformation of the cocaine market, which has shifted from being dominated by a few powerful cartels to a fragmented and highly competitive underworld. Colombian, Mexican, and Brazilian organizations have traditionally controlled the market, but new actors, including Nigerian and Albanian syndicates, have emerged as key players. From the rise of transshipment hubs in West Africa to nontraditional trafficking routes in Asia, this volume demonstrates how criminal organizations adapt to evolving market demands and law enforcement crackdowns. Just as multinational corporations streamline production, cocaine traffickers around the world manage logistics, transportation, and financial flows across continents. Yet unlike legal industries, the cocaine market thrives on secrecy, violence, and corruption, making it one of the most resilient global enterprises. By bridging theoretical frameworks from different disciplines, this volume deepens our understanding of how the global illicit economy functions. From the campesinos harvesting coca to the street dealers in Europe and the United States, the book emphasizes the interconnectedness of all actors in this lucrative, dangerous market. Furthermore, it critiques the failures of international counter-drug efforts, revealing how institutional corruption and state fragility perpetuate the trade. This book is an essential resource for policymakers, scholars, and anyone seeking to understand the complexities of the global cocaine economy.
Sebastian A. Cutrona is a senior lecturer in criminology at Liverpool Hope University. Jonathan D. Rosen is an assistant professor at New Jersey City University.
"With cocaine production reaching record levels and expanding well beyond traditional core markets, this timely volume usefully updates our understanding of an ever-evolving illicit transnational industry. With previous research on the cocaine trade mostly focused on the Americas, especially welcome and unusual is the volume's truly global coverage. The wide-ranging mix of contributors-representing a nice combination of veteran drug-trade analysts and younger scholars-cross not only geographic and disciplinary borders but also the borders between academia and the policy world." - Peter Andreas, author of Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs "Cocaine: Criminals, Routes, and Markets offers a truly remarkable account of the cocaine industry's complex global ecosystem. Its innovative, historically grounded, and nuanced approach makes it a must-read for scholars, policymakers, and students interested in this most consequential topic." - Andreas E. Feldmann, author of Repertoires of Terrorism: Organizational Identity and Violence in Colombia's Civil War
