United States Drug Enforcement Administration

Mexican cartels, primarily the Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), are increasingly targeting illicit drug markets in Australia and New Zealand. In collaboration with organized crime groups (OCGs) and money laundering organizations (MLOs) in Australia and New Zealand, cartels are capitalizing on the highly lucrative methamphetamine and cocaine markets in the region. Large scale Mexico-origin methamphetamine shipments in sophisticated concealments via air and sea cargo are expected to continue, most often transshipped and re-exported from North America and Asia. A temporary onshore presence of cartel associates in Australia and New Zealand has been identified, to ensure the logistics of illicit drug trafficking activity, leaving distribution to well-established local criminal organizations such as domestic outlaw motorcycle gangs.