U.S. top military brass have warned of a growing threat of Mexican drug cartels in Africa, with West Africa emerging as a critical front in this expanding illicit network.

Speaking at a security briefing on Monday, Lt. Gen. John Brennan (deputy commander of the U.S. Africa Command) highlighted the unexpected but escalating presence of these cartels operating in South Africa and coastal West African regions, alongside existing jihadist groups in Southern Africa.

The U.S. Africa Command said it was intensifying its preventative security measures in countries like Angola and Namibia, despite these nations currently facing limited jihadist activity. The objective is to proactively shield these countries from both extremist violence and the burgeoning influence of Mexican drug trafficking organisations.

“Security is security.  It’s really preventative. There are jihadist groups that operate all along the periphery of both Angola and Namibia. ISIS has franchises in Mozambique, South Africa, as well as an emerging Mexican drug cartel issue that we think is going to – is getting worse over time, that’s emanating from South Africa and from coastal West Africa.  

“We want to keep Namibia and Angola free of those threats as well as to prepare them for any future threats through the training and exercise programme, as well as the equipping,” said Mr Brennan.

He explained that this expansion is compounded by the cartels’ strategy of using African coastal routes for drug shipments destined for Europe, the U.S., Australia, and an increasing internal African market.

Recent interdictions in Mozambique have seized millions of dollars’ worth of cocaine, underscoring the scale and sophistication of these operations.

“Botswana is kind of the hub of that security, and we want to expand security partners who also provide troops to things like ATMIS and now AUSSOM in Somalia for the overall counter-VEO mission, as well as stopping illicit drug trafficking as well as human trafficking, which is a problem for Africa as a whole,” Mr Brennan stated.

The U.S. officer added, “We’ve seen partners in Mozambique.  We just gave them some boats, and they use them to interdict drug shipments off their coast.  Recently, 8 – I think it was $8 million worth of cocaine.  So that problem, again, with the drug cartels exporting – creating drugs on the continent and then exporting them to Europe and the U.S., as well as Australia, and for internal consumption in Africa, is a growing problem.”

Ambassador Robert Scott, deputy commander for USAFRICOM’s civil-military engagement, added that this security push was complemented by expanded diplomatic and economic engagement, including governance, education, and private sector investment to build resilience against illicit trafficking and violent extremism.