Cocaine
Battle Lines
Reportage Photography from the Global War on Drugs
From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
Pablo Escobar's Grave in Medeliin Colombia. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
The remains of a dinasour in Pablo Escobar's jurassic park at Hacienda Napoles, Colombia 2005
From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
Saturday morning in Barrio Niza, Medellin. An unknown victim has been shot three times by two youths. Colombia
Women guerillas in the FARC. Colombia. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
Carlos Castaño, a Colombian paramilitary leader and drug trafficker who founded the Peasant Self-Defenders of Córdoba and Urabá (ACCU), a far-right paramilitary organisation in Colombia and a former member of the Medellin Cartel.
From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
Face, a deportee from the USA, was convicted of a drug crime, Face was deported to Haiti, a country he had never been to before.
Q'eros man taking a break on the trek upto his village of Hatan Q'eros. It takes two days walking to get to from the nearest road. Coca has traditionally been used by the Andean people to help them bear long journeys as chewing it can alleviate the strains of long distance walks and the weariness caused by the thin air at such high altitudes (around 4000 meters). High Andes, Peru, 2006<
Coca being unloaded into an Enaco warehouse, from where it is taken to be turned into tea and other consumer products.
Cocaine Wars is a long term project by photojournalist Sam Faulkner. It explores the impact of the international drugs business on the countries producing countries, those consuming the cocaine and the regions all the trafficking routes.
Chicha and coca. Chicha is an indigenous corn beer. It is the traditional drink of the Andean indians. It is often drunk while chewing coca. Pisac, Peru
Policeman guarding the scene of another brutal mutiple murder in Culiacan. The victims were a corrido band. In the current violence musicians are often targeted if they sing about rival cartels or are perceived to be disrespectful in their songs.
Customs officers at the Calexico port of entry discover an SUV with marijuana packed inside its tyres. A sniffer dog first alerted the officers to the tyres. A quick thump with a stick confirmed the tyres weren't hollow.
A photograph left at the Shrine of Jesus Malverde, the patron saint of narco-traffickers. Narcos come here and make offerings in order to bless their businesses and provide a little extra insurance for their passage North to the and beyond the border. Malverde is a ' Robin Hood' type of character from Mexican folk lore.
The army presents weapons and a prisoner captured during operations against the narco cartels. Tijuana. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
Police officer in down town Tijuana. The police are regular targets of the cartels, so they wear ski masks to protect their identities. October 2008
A traffic sign just before one of the most treacherous stretches of the Yumgus Road from La Paz to Coroico. A major route for coca from jungle to mountain.
Compton Sheriff’s Anti-Gangs squad arrests a gang member after a shooting. “ninety percent of the time it’s about girlfriends. A lot of the time it is about disrespecting the other gang. These guys pick the stupidest things to fight about”, said Officer Ritchie Sanchez
Sheriffs in Compton‚anti-gang unit‚take down a small group of gang members riding around in a car. Searches discover a small amount of drugs but no weapons.
Two members of the Eight Tray with their hardware. The AK 47 has a drum magazine that fires three times as many rounds as a normal clip.
Officers of the GPAE patrolling the favela. The regular patrols have dramatically reduced the murder rate in the area.
Miners deep inside the Cerro Rico share coca and alcohol with El Tio, The devil of the mine. The offering is a way of placating the evil of the mine, bringing safety and rich rewards. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
A group of women in Bolivia sitting with their sacks of coca in La Paz, Bolivia, South America.
View of the Cantagalo favela just before sunset. The sprawling neighbourhood hangs off the hills above Rio's most famous beaches.
On morning patrol with FARC in Colombia Jungle
Women in the FARC. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
There is no such thing as fair trade cocaine. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
Cocaine base discovered on raid by Colombia anti-narcotics marines
Marine standing in an area deforested by coca farmers, Putumayo, Colombia. From photo documentary project Cocaine Wars.
The old road to Coroico snakes its way through the valley. The new road only covers a few kilometres.
Anti-narcotic marines training in Putumayo Colombia
Marines heading by speed boat towards a cocaine kitchen on the banks of the Putumayo River, Colombia.
Anti-narcotics brigade of the Colombian army
Graduation ceremony of USA funded Anti-narcotics brigade of Colombia army
Colombian anti-narcotics marine training,
Colombia is one of the World's largest producers of coca, the rare material of cocaine.
The Q'eros nation live in the remote Andes. Their coca traditions are closer to the pre-spanish rituals and culture than any where else in the Andes.
Cash and coke discovered in police raid in Detroit.
The funeral of Diego Molinais, who was gunned down outside his house. On the weekend Diego died, 26 other people were killed in Medellin.
Medellin was the world's most dangerous city in the early 2000s.
Victims of gang violence in Medeliin Colombia
Members of ‘The 29’ street gang. Six months later they were all dead. Medellin, Colombia.
Officer from the GPAE, Special Areas Police Group, searches a suspect, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Gang member, with his automatic pistol tucked into his jeans, LA California
The tattoo hand is showing the ‘C’ sign of the Crips and the ‘BK’ stands for Blood Killer.
A Kalashnikov AK 47 with ammunition is kept in a bag under the bed of a gang member.
Crip home girls ride by and flick the ‘C’ hand sign that identifies them to other gang members.
Eight Tray Gangsters hanging out at a homie’s house.
Young coca-pickers Colombia
Marines preparing for a raid on a cocaine kitchen, Putumayo, Colombia.
Crack cocaine pipe
FARC guerillas ran a massive cocaine production business to fund their war against the Colombian state.
A Paqo on the island of Amantani, on Lake Titikaka makes an offering using the traditional three coca leaves known as a K'intu.
Photojournalistic project exploring the international impact of the war on drugs
Reportage Photography
The "war on drugs" is a term that refers to the efforts of the U.S. government and other governments around the world to combat the production, distribution, and use of illegal drugs. The term was first coined by U.S. President Richard Nixon in 1971, and since then, various governments have implemented a variety of policies and programs aimed at reducing drug use and related crime.
It is difficult to say that any one side has "won" the war on drugs, as the issue is complex and ongoing. While some governments have had successes in reducing drug use and related crime, the problem of illegal drug use and trafficking continues to persist. Critics argue that the war on drugs has been costly, ineffective and has resulted in unintended consequences such as mass incarceration, racial disparities, and human rights abuses.
In recent years, there has been a growing movement towards more progressive and compassionate approaches to drug policy, such as harm reduction, which focuses on reducing the negative consequences of drug use rather than simply criminalizing it. Some countries, such as Portugal, have decriminalized drug possession and have seen reductions in drug-related deaths and HIV infections.
The war on drugs is a multifaceted and complex issue, and there is no single solution that can be considered a "win." The best way to address the problem of illegal drug use will likely involve a combination of law enforcement, education, treatment, and other strategies that address the root causes of drug use and address its harms.
The war on drugs project began in Colombia and took me across the western hemisphere- from the favelas of Rio to the wild border lands of Mexico, through the Amazon and atop the Andes. Many of the individual stories were commissioned by publications such as the Telegraph Magazine, Esquire and The Independent, other parts of the project received grants and scholarships including from the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, The Observer Hodge Award, Joop Swart and the BJP.