Mexico has declared war on a smuggling that is breaking the Chinese market: the “Cocaine del Mar”

A little over a year ago, in June 2024a Mexican National Guard team was watching the Tlaquepaque bus station in Jalisco, when something curious happened. Suddenly one of the dogs trained to detect drugs began to sniff two cardboard boxes located in the officia of a messaging company. As they approached, the agents found that it smelled strange, as a “decomposition product”, so they decided to open the packages. Inside there was no coca, nor hashish, nor weapons, but 80 vexigas Fish dehydrated.

The fact is that these buches belonged to a very specific species, the Totoaba Macdonaldiand were not any pieces either. As much as they had bad appearance and poured those 80 veils, which together weighed around 18 kilos, they could have sold for 360,000 dollars In the Chinese black market.

For something they are known as “Cocaine of the sea”.

Totoaqué? Totoaba Macdonaldi. His name may not be familiar to us in this part of the world, but he is well known in his place of origin, in The coasts of Mexico. To be more precise the species is endemic to the Alto Gulf of California and attracts attention for its size. A totoaba can reach the two meters100 kg of weight and 30 years of life. If for something it is (sadly) famous however it is for its swim bladderor buche, the organ that facilitates flotability.

Why’s that? Because in certain regions of China it is considered a treasure, a Delicatesen coveted by their alleged Medicinal properties and that quotes stratospheric values in the black market. Among other uses and despite the fact that there are no solid investigations that demonstrate their goodnessin the Asian giant Totoaba buches are used to make soups that supposedly improve articular pains and relieve the discomfort of pregnant. It is so popular in the country that they are even used as an investment, luxury gift or even dowry.

And how much does it cost? Quite. It is not easy to specify it because the price of Totoaba’s bladder is closely linked to the Chinese black market, but a quick search arrives on Google to confirm that it is a luxury merchandise. In 2017 the BBC I calculated that the kilo of Buche could easily exceed 8,500 dollars.

The same figure contributed recently the Nikkei agency in An article On the vexigas introduced to smuggling in the Asian market. Others go further and talk about $ 20,000 per kilo, 2,200 euros for just 100 grams or even 40,000 euros for the vexigas of the most desired and most desired specimens. There are those who even slide figures still higher.

Is it a problem? Yes. The high demand has submitted to the species at such a pressure that the Mexican government has had to take action on the matter. In the 70s prohibited its fishing, in 1991 It was officially declared in danger of extinction and its name has passed, among other documents, to the list of the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species (CITES). It also appears in the “Red List” of the Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whose last evaluation is 2020. There is a vulnerable species.

And how is it now? In A statement Published at the end of June, the Mexican government recalls that in the twentieth century Totoaba fishing grew “without control to reduce its population and take it to the edge of extinction” and recognizes that the species is still stalked by smuggling. However, there are some signs that invite moderate optimism. Protection measures and especially repopulation work are helping “little by little” to recover the species. A month ago, in fact, the authorities released 40,000 young in Baja California Sur. In total, in that region about 270,000 have already been released.

Are there more measures? Yes. Mexican authorities also carry out controls such as the one that allowed to requisition 80 bucho Last year at the Jalisco Bus Station. Not long after the National Guard and the Customs Agency intercepted another 75 pieces In the Customs of Sonoyta, Sonora. Last March the authorities presumed A new ‘blow’ When removing hundreds of meters from Enmalle networks and dozens of copies of Totoaba on the coasts of the Alto Gulf of California.

And at the political level? The species is also part of the Mexican political debate. Over the last years the authorities They have been profiling The legal framework that protects the species and in spring a government commission approved A reform package For that same purpose. Your goal? Regulate the tariff codes that would apply to an export, maintaining, ensures digital road map, the veto to the commercialization of buchors.

A few weeks ago the Nikkei agency revealed That Mexico has decided to partially raise the veto to the export of the species, although it speaks exclusively of the meat of specimens of fish farm. The measure is accompanied by a stricter monitoring of the merchandise to prevent its smuggling.

Cocaine of the sea? Maybe it sounds excessive, but in recent years the totoaba has earned the nickname of “Cocaine of the sea”. And it makes enough sense. Not only for his high pricealso for the consequences of demand in China. The lucrative business of the Totaba fish illegally and its price in Asia has caught the attention of organizations dedicated to drug smuggling.

“The posters realized that these Chinese merchants won a lot with the jellyfish, the Totoaba buche, the sea cucumbers, the abult … and these economies began to penetrate to dominate them,” Explain to The country Felbab-Brown, from the Brookings Institute and an organized crime expert. At the beginning of the year the CBC chain revealed A report of the agency and border services of sample how the networks of Chinese organized crime and the Mexican cartels are resorting to the Canadian ports to exchange buffers and precursors of the fentanyl.

Are there more factors at stake? The answer is affirming again. There is another involuntary protagonist who is being very harmed by the smuggling of Totoaba Buches: The marine vaquitaan in danger of extinction. The reason? The vaquitas have a similar size and end up trapped in the large networks that are used to capture Totoabas. Its situation is so critical that in 2016 the Environmental Research Agency He launched a report warning of risks.

Images | Government of Mexico 1 and 2

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