Behind the Scenes: The Hidden Alliance Between the Houthis and International Smuggling Networks

Drug trafficking in areas controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi group has become part of an undeclared economy that links military financing with efforts to tighten control over Yemeni society.A study published by the Mokha Center for Strategic Studies says Yemen has become an active environment for the production, manufacture and redistribution of narcotics, after previously serving only as a transit route.In recent years, the Houthi group has developed a model that relies on this trade as a steady source of income, while also using it to tighten its grip in areas under its control.  From smuggling to management  The study says the drug trade is no longer in the hands of traditional mafia networks, but is now run under the direct supervision of Houthi leaders, as part of a financial network that depends on extortion, levies and illicit activity.

International reports say pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies are being used as fronts to smuggle narcotics, including Captagon pills, through forged permits, in a way that ensures the continued flow of these substances beyond the reach of oversight. 

The study also links this activity to military mobilization programs, saying some substances are used inside camps to reduce fighters’ fear and increase their aggression, as a tool to regulate and control their behavior.  Networks extending beyond the borders  The study says these operations are linked to smuggling routes extending toward Saudi Arabia through Saada province in far northern Yemen, which has become a major transit point.

The data show that shipments arrive through seaports and are then transported by local means along complex overland routes, taking advantage of the terrain and weak monitoring.At the same time, a report by the UN Security Council Panel of Experts said the Houthi group relies on illicit funding sources, including drug trafficking, to cover its military expenses.  Expanding local production and a growing social toll  Among the most notable shifts identified by the study is the move toward production inside Yemen, through the establishment of farms in remote areas of Saada and Al-Jawf provinces, under heavy guard and with special equipment.

In recent months, laboratories and large quantities of narcotic pills have also been seized, indicating an expansion in manufacturing activity and the gradual transformation of the country into an emerging hub for this trade. 

Socially, the data point to rising addiction rates, the breakdown of many families, and the emergence of forms of violence previously unfamiliar in Yemen. 

Reports also speak of drugs being used in recruitment efforts, especially among young people, in a development that raises concerns about long-term effects on society. Thus, drug trafficking in Yemen has become a route that is quietly expanding inside areas controlled by the Houthi group, leaving serious consequences for a society already facing harsh conditions after 11 years of war.

• How the Houthis Are Choking Yemen’s Peace Efforts with a Broad Escalation on the Ground
• Economy in the Wind: How Yemenis Are Paying the Price of Disrupted Shipping Routes
• Houthi Summer Centers: Factories for Indoctrination and Raising a “Scream” Generation
• The “Coalition of Necessity”: What Costa Rica’s Terrorism Designation of the Houthis Signifies
• Mojtaba Khamenei Runs Iran from His Bed as Photos Vanish and the Supreme Leader Makes a “Voice-Only” Appearance