The recent U.S. seizure and indictment of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on charges of “narco-terrorism” has once again brought drug trafficking routes through Venezuela into the global spotlight. Amid these investigations, Balkan criminal groups have also been mentioned, raising questions about whether they will face scrutiny from U.S. authorities.
Balkan Connections in Venezuelan Drug Routes
Encrypted communications via the Sky app, widely used by international criminal networks, reveal links between Balkan clans and suppliers in Venezuela. A 2020 message referenced the purchase of three tons of cocaine from an individual labeled “Patron.” According to investigative files, this procurement was overseen by Radoje Zvicer, the convicted head of Montenegro’s Kavač clan, who also operates in Serbia.
The day after this transaction, Dutch authorities intercepted five tons of cocaine aboard the vessel ARESSA near Aruba, arresting 11 Montenegrin nationals. Sentences ranged from nine to fifteen years, providing one of the few documented cases linking Balkan criminal structures to Venezuelan drug routes.
Although Maduro faces charges in New York for cooperation with Mexican cartels like Sinaloa and Zetas, Colombia’s FARC, and Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua gang, direct links between these specific cartels and Balkan groups have not been publicly confirmed.
“Court proceedings involving Montenegrin clans rarely name cartels explicitly. Most reports reference ‘Colombian,’ ‘Ecuadorian,’ or ‘South American’ suppliers,” explained Jelena Jovanović, a Montenegrin journalist covering organized crime.
Albania and the Sinaloa Cartel
One confirmed link exists in Albania, where the Hisa crime family was targeted by the U.S. Department of the Treasury for laundering funds on behalf of the Sinaloa cartel. Between 2017 and 2024, roughly $2 million passed through gambling establishments and U.S.-linked companies.
In broader investigations, Balkan organized crime is often described as a network spanning Montenegro, Serbia, Albania, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Slovenia, collectively referred to as the Balkan Cartel.
Drug Trafficking Routes
Venezuela is repeatedly cited as a transit country for cocaine from Colombia and other producer nations to Europe. According to the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime, the trafficking routes increasingly involve West African countries such as Sierra Leone, Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Gambia. Serbia has also appeared in these contexts.
For example, Miroslav Starčević, a former police officer from Loznica, is identified as leading a group using Sierra Leone as a hub for storing and repackaging cocaine destined for Europe, linked to the Kavač clan.
“West Africa is increasingly mentioned in Balkan cartel cases for storage, transshipment, and repackaging before shipments reach Europe,” Jovanović noted.
The primary pattern for Montenegrin groups remains Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil, with container shipments arriving at major European ports such as Rotterdam and Antwerp before wider distribution.
Operations and Organization
Details of Balkan criminal operations have emerged after European law enforcement dismantled encrypted communication platforms like Sky, ANOM, and EncroChat. These investigations reveal a focus on logistics, ports, containers, intermediaries, and systemic corruption facilitating drug movement. Many dockworkers and couriers are unaware they are transporting illicit cargo.
“The Balkan cartel maintains a network of collaborators in over 30 countries. Its size and operational capability make it a significant international player,” Jovanović explained.
Corruption and insider contacts are crucial for the operation of these networks. Given the scale and organization, experts believe Balkan criminal networks may increasingly attract the attention of U.S. authorities.
