CIMA Newsletter / Ed. September 2026: Adulteration, Mass Stockpiling and Document Camouflage in Regional Illicit Trade

CIMA NEWSLETTER: Monthly analysis of operational and strategic illicit trade events in Latin America, developed through the Central for Investigation, Monitoring and Analysis of Illicit Trade (CIMA).

🚨 September confirmed a trend that requires attention: illicit trade in Latin America combines the adulteration of mass-consumption products, large-scale stockpiling in urban warehouses, and document camouflage in international cargo.

During the month, CIMA identified large-scale operations in Ecuador, Colombia, and Brazil, along with regulatory adjustments in Colombia, Paraguay, and Mexico aimed at closing the gaps exploited by smuggling networks.

📌 Key developments this month:

• 🇪🇨 In Quito, Ecuador, raids on five properties dismantled an adulterated liquor manufacturing network linked to Los Lobos: about 14,000 bottles, roughly one million labels, and 500,000 counterfeit SRI tax stamps were seized, with an estimated value of USD 50 million.

• 🇨🇴 In Cali, Colombia, the DIAN found a clandestine warehouse holding 1,099 bundles and about 1.87 million pairs of smuggled shoes, with an estimated value of USD 11.8 million.

• 🇧🇷 At the Port of Santos, Brazil, the Receita Federal held a container from China declared as LED screens, carrying more than 283,000 e-cigarettes, with an estimated value of USD 5.4 million.

• 🇨🇴 Colombia issued Decree 1444 of 2026, which bans imports of goods made with forced labor and empowers the DIAN to seize and confiscate them.

• 🇵🇾 In Paraguay, Senate committees issued a favorable opinion on creating an anti-smuggling directorate within the DNIT.

• 🇲🇽 In Mexico, the 2027 Economic Package will introduce excise tax (IEPS) traceability for fuels, and 63 customs broker licenses linked to fiscal fuel smuggling were suspended.

Illicit trade networks operate as integrated logistics chains, able to produce, store, camouflage, and distribute goods at scale across several countries at once, which requires combining forceful operations, rules that close gaps, and permanent monitoring of trade flows.

📊 CIMA's operational analysis for September recorded an estimated value of USD 91,730,243, while 41% of events have no estimated economic value.

📩 Subscribe to our LinkedIn Newsletter: Illicit Trade in Latin America Newsletter

At Strategos BIP, we provide access to CIMA's intelligence. To receive the report or request a customized analysis, contact us at info@strategosbip.com.

At Strategos BIP, we recognize the importance of these actions against illicit trade. These reports represent only a portion of the information available through CIMA.

For this reason, we make our intelligence and services available to support organizations in their efforts to combat illicit trade. If you are interested in accessing these resources or would like to expand the services you currently use, please feel free to reply to this email or contact us at info@strategosbip.com.

Download the full newsletter here:

Reporte CIMA - Comercio ilegal, Septiembre 2026.pdf

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