Sea cucumbers become shadow currency for drug cartels

Due to high demand in China and other Asian countries, rare species of sea cucumbers are not only used as delicacies but also as a form of payment outside the banking system.

In one case, former U.S. Border Patrol agent Cesar Dáleo linked Chinese chemical suppliers with Mexican cartels: he brought fentanyl precursors into Mexico and transported dried sea cucumbers back to the U.S. as payment.

A kilogram of rare species can cost up to $3,000. An illegal multi-million-dollar market has emerged around their harvest. In Mexico, India, Sri Lanka, and other countries, illegal fishing is associated with smuggling, threats to fishermen, and organized crime.

Environmentalists warn that overfishing damages ecosystems. Sea cucumbers clean the seabed and help sustain coral reef life.