The global war on drug trafficking has entered a new phase. From Washington, the ‘zero tolerance’ message toward cartels and transnational criminal networks is once again gaining force. And, for the first time in years, some European leaders appear willing to get on board.
The first among them is Belgium’s new prime minister, Bart De Wever, who has publicly called on the United States for support in fighting what he describes as an existential threat: the transformation of his country into a “narco-state.”
The source of the alarm is the port of Antwerp, the main gateway for cocaine into Europe. According to the European Union Drugs Agency, more than 120 tons of cocaine were seized there in 2023 alone—a record that made Belgium the continent’s leading entry point for narcotics.
In recent months, however, the crisis has expanded far beyond the docks. It has become a national challenge marked by shootings, corruption, and direct threats against judges, prosecutors, and ministers.
During a visit to the port alongside U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, De Wever stressed the need for a “transatlantic alliance against organized crime,” inspired by the kind of military and intelligence cooperation that already exists within NATO. “Criminals know no borders. Neither should we when it comes to defending our citizens,” declared the Flemish leader, who has recently hardened his rhetoric on law and order.
Antwerp: Europe’s drug gateway
The scale of the problem has triggered alarm within Belgium’s own judiciary. In an open letter published earlier this month, an investigating magistrate from Antwerp warned that “entrenched mafias are undermining our institutions,” and that the country risks losing control of its justice system and law enforcement.
The judge—living under police protection after receiving death threats—revealed that many colleagues are increasingly reluctant to investigate drug networks that now operate with near impunity in entire neighborhoods and even within prisons.
The letter, anonymous but supported by several magistrates, paints a grim picture: a multibillion-euro shadow economy, corruption seeping into state institutions, the intimidation of public officials, and a society growing desensitized to violence. So far this year, more than 50 drug-related shootings have been recorded in Brussels alone—some inside metro stations. Even the justice minister has had to relocate to a secret address following death threats.
The U.S. government sees in Belgium’s crisis an echo of its own fight against Latin American cartels. Kristi Noem—continuing the hardline approach inaugurated under Donald Trump—said in Antwerp that “the United States cannot stand idle in the face of criminal organizations that are killing our people and poisoning our democracies.” Her department is already cooperating with Belgian authorities through intelligence sharing and financial tracking of groups linked to South America.
The transatlantic cooperation also reflects a strategic concern: Belgium not only hosts Europe’s largest port, but also the headquarters of NATO and the European Union, making its internal security a matter of geopolitical significance. “If Belgium falls into the hands of organized crime, the whole of Europe will have a problem,” warned the country’s federal drug commissioner, Ine Van Wymersch.
Europe awakens
Belgium’s alarm is beginning to resonate elsewhere. The Netherlands, also hit hard by drug violence, has tightened port controls and renewed cooperation with U.S. agencies. In France, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin has admitted that “the war on drugs is being lost” and has called for “real coordination at the European level.”
Meanwhile, De Wever presents himself as the first EU leader to recognize that defending the rule of law requires a direct confrontation with the mafias—even if it means extraordinary measures. His government has not ruled out deploying the military in the most dangerous areas. “This is not an ideological issue,” De Wever said. “It’s about the survival of the State.”
The surge in drug trafficking exposes not only the fragility of Europe’s borders but also the political and moral vacuum left by the continent’s progressive elites. While Brussels channels resources into climate dogmas and identity agendas, the cartels advance unchecked. Washington, with its characteristic pragmatism, is once again reminding Europe that without order, security, and sovereignty, there can be no freedom.
