Drug mules in the international cocaine trade: diversity and relative deprivation
by Dr. Jennifer Fleetwood
The film ‘Maria Full of Grace’ follows a young Colombian girl, through her journey as a drugs mule. The film begins in the rose factory where Maria works. We see her rising early to work long hours in a menial job to support her family. It is clear that she (like somany of us) longs for a better life. This ‘better life’ is implicitly western and individualistic. After Maria quits her job she discovers she is pregnant. On her way to Bogotá (the capital) to find a job, she encounters a friend of a friend who offers her work as a mule. Her motivations are clear: to escape from poverty for herself and her family no matter how slim the chances of success.
These same stereotypical images of the drugs mule dominate popular media and politics. The research reported sought to look beyond the media image of drug mules to better understand what motivates men and women to work as drug mules. This topic is pertinent given recent policy interest in sentence reform for drug mules. Although some good research has been done on drug mules (which is outlined in the following section), it has mainly focussed on women from developing nations. This is problematic given that recent research has noted a ‘diversification in the social, national and ethnic composition of cocaine couriers, for example old men, entire families with children, young blonde students and European tourists’.
The purpose of this research was to look at the motivations of a group of mules who are representative of this diversification. In order to do this, research was conducted in prisons in Ecuador. The men and women encountered were from diverse national, cultural, class and ethnic backgrounds. Some were of pensionable age; others were young students who were under 20 when they were arrested. Some had drug habits, others were in employment. I also encountered several couples who were travelling together (although often one partner was unaware their partner was trafficking drugs). I also met two women who were unknowingly carrying drugs. Unfortunately there is not space to include their experiences here.
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