Mexican cartels have started using sea cucumbers as currency

Mexican drug cartels have begun using dried sea cucumbers for illicit payments to Chinese suppliers of chemicals. The reason is the high demand for this delicacy in Asia.

In China, sea cucumbers are considered a symbol of wealth and status. As a result, their price can reach $3,000 per kilogram, making the product a convenient form of underground payment.

A Foreign Policy article mentions former U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent Cesar Daleo. Between 2014 and 2016, he organized at least 80 shipments of sea cucumbers from Mexico to the U.S., totaling more than $250,000. He was subsequently sentenced to 30 months in prison for smuggling.

Specifically, this involves the rare and protected species Isostichopus fuscus. The illegal trade in sea cucumbers is widespread not only in Mexico but also in India.

Sea cucumbers illegally caught in India are smuggled to Sri Lanka, where their harvest is permitted, and from there to Hong Kong or mainland China.

Source: Foreign Policy.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum responded during a morning press conference to statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding cartel violence in the country. According to Mexico News Daily, she also announced her first trip to Asia as president—in November, Sheinbaum will attend the APEC summit in Shenzhen, China.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking to reporters in Quito, Ecuador, stated that, in his opinion, Mexico is not doing enough to combat drug cartels. He also suggested that the United States would ultimately have to confront this threat “one way or another,” which could indicate the possibility of unilateral action on Mexican territory.