Peru Installs US-Donated Scanners at Chinese-Controlled Chancay Port to Combat Drug Trafficking

Peru inaugurated two high-energy X-ray scanners donated by the United States at the strategic Pacific port of Chancay, which is controlled by Chinese state enterprise COSCO Shipping. The scanners enable real-time detection of illicit goods in shipping containers without opening them, enhancing customs efficiency and supply chain security. US Ambassador to Peru Bernie Navarro attended the inauguration ceremony, where he wore a DEA cap, signaling the anti-narcotics focus of the initiative. The United States Department of State's Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs provided the equipment, valued at over $8.5 million, and will train Peruvian officials to operate the scanners independently.

The donation underscores the United States' strategic interest in monitoring cargo at a facility that has become a major gateway for Chinese trade into Latin America. The Port of Chancay, which opened on November 14, 2024, is the deepest port in Latin America at 17.8 meters, enabling the world's largest cargo vessels to dock. It has been developed as COSCO Shipping's primary hub, with three main maritime routes and four feeder routes already operational to major Chinese ports and to Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, and Panama.

Peru faces significant drug trafficking challenges as one of the world's leading cocaine producers and the second-largest coca leaf cultivator after Colombia. The government acknowledged an "exponential" rise in narcotics trafficking in 2023, with coca cultivation in the Amazon expanding dramatically from 42,900 hectares in 2014 to 89,755 hectares in 2024. The scanners are intended to prevent illicit shipments from transiting through the port while maintaining commercial fluidity and operational transparency.

China is Peru's primary trading partner for over a decade, with substantial investments in electricity, mining, and port infrastructure. The Chancay port represents a $1.3 billion investment and serves as a critical node in China's trade connectivity with South America. The scanner donation reflects a complex geopolitical situation in which the United States seeks to maintain influence over security operations at a port that strengthens China's regional economic dominance.