Cocaine-omics

But not this kind :(

Cocaine is derived from the leaves of the coca plant. Three countries: Colombia, Peru and Bolivia, account for all the coca harvested in the world. But Mexican crime syndicates dominate the transport, distribution and sales of cocaine.

These syndicates began trafficking cocaine to the U.S. in the late 1970s, but for many years worked as junior partners to the powerful Colombian cartels of Medellin and Cali. Mexico was a secondary route for cocaine compared to the primary route through the Caribbean. As a result, the Colombians pocketed the lion's share of the cocaine profits.

But as U.S. interdiction efforts curtailed the Caribbean cocaine flow in the 1980s-90s, the power and influence of Colombian cartels waned. At the same time, land routes through Central America and Mexico became more important than ever. And while marijuana sales have always been an important financial source for the Mexican cartels, the large profits from the cocaine trade are what have made the cartels as powerful as they are today. Cocaine profits allow the Mexican cartels to buy boats and planes, hire smugglers and assassins ("sicarios") and bribe government officials.

Of course, if they had fewer customers, there would be no profit in selling their poison.