By Steve Neavling
ticklethewire.com
The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the illegal drug trade, costing cartels million of dollars.
In the first week of March, law enforcement seized $10 million in cash, more than twice the amount seized during the same period last year, NBC News reports.
Drug traffickers are having a harder time moving around without being spotted because of the state’s stay-at-home order, the DEA said.
“When there’s less hay in the haystack, it’s easier to find the needle,” Bill Bodner, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Los Angeles field office, said. “It’s caused the drug cartels and money launderers to take more risks, and that’s where we can capitalize.”
On the East Coast, DEA agents are seizing more drug money than usual. The New York City field division, for example, has seen a 180% increase in seizures over last year.
