In Bed with the Narcos

Conspiracy theories claim that parts of the government or other state actors are actively involved in the illegal drug trade. The most prominent example is the US intelligence agency, the CIA, which has allegedly been in collusion with drug lords for decades, using the covert proceeds to carry out clandestine operations – such as arming and guiding the men who later became the leadership of al-Qaeda, the Islamic State and other terrorist organisations. Other theories claim that drug cartels are used as a tool to fuel or intensify regional conflicts, or to carry out false flag terror attacks. Despite all the speculation, there is still no solid evidence to support these claims.