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Mozambique is becoming recognised as an emerging hub for cocaine trafficking, with links stretching back to Brazil. Political elites have played a key role in other illicit flows, and there is no reason to suggest cocaine would be any different. Brazil has been playing a vital role in cocaine trafficking to Africa. Within Africa itself, Mozambique has gained significance as a hub for the transit of cocaine. The existence of a Lusophone route, linking Brazil with Lusophone countries in Africa is not new — cocaine has been moving from Brazil to Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau for decades; however, the emergence of Mozambique as a hub for cocaine trafficked from Brazil is relatively recent. It intersects with an already well-founded route for the movement of heroin and now methamphetamines, arriving on the Mozambican coast, and being redirected north and south overland. The rise of Mozambique as a transit hub for cocaine is part of well-established displacement effects, where increased law enforcement attention on one part of a route results in the shift of trafficking elsewhere. In Africa, this has mostly been analysed in relation to the opening of West Africa as a transit hub for cocaine in the late s following significant seizures of vessels shipping cocaine directly from South America to Europe. Within Africa, analysts have focused on shifts in cocaine trafficking from West Africa to North Africa Herbert , or heroin trafficking from the Makran Coast of Pakistan and Iran to Kenya moving further south, first to Tanzania, and then to Mozambique Haysom Mozambique provides a very conducive environment for cocaine trafficking because of the other illicit commodities moving in and out of the country, as well as the involvement of political elites, and more recently the cover of insurgency in northern Mozambique. However, the interests of political elites in Mozambique should not be underestimated. This article reviews the addition of Mozambique to the Lusophone route for cocaine trafficking and the role of the PCC in trafficking cocaine into Mozambique. It begins by charting the rise of the PCC as the primary actor involved in cocaine trafficking in Brazil, followed by the rise of a Lusophone route to Europe, including through West African countries. The article then explores the shift into Mozambique, discussing the existing criminal environment in Mozambique, the convergence of multiple commodities, considering how cocaine trafficking fits within the criminal marketplace and highlighting the potential for conflict between the PCC and Mozambican elites. Brazil represents an attractive hub for cocaine trafficking organisations in South America. The country has a sizeable domestic market — the National Drug Use Survey found that 4. Local criminal groups, such as the Commando Vermelho and the PCC started as local organisations controlling cocaine flows into specific neighbourhoods on the outskirts of the main Brazilian cities. These neighbourhoods provided a stronghold for local criminal organisations to resist attempts by the state to undermine their operations. Prisons played a similar role, as local kingpins used their financial resources to corrupt penitentiary officials, turning prisons into unofficial headquarters for their organisations. The PCC was potentially the most effective at exploiting this vulnerability, resulting in significant expansion. The PCC was formed in , when several inmates of the Taubate prison in Sau Paulo established an alliance and killed other leaders in the prison. The second stage was defined by domestic consolidation and diversification of criminal activities. In , the PCC attracted government attention for taking control of 29 prisons in 19 cities, forcing authorities to negotiate Kaminsky and Squeff, The PCC conducted coordinated attacks on police stations, transport facilities and state buildings Coutinho A fourth phase is evident in the groups international expansion — first regionally, and then across the Atlantic Coutinho Regionally, the PCC took control of the entire cocaine supply chain. More recently, the PCC started to explore new routes, evading competition from other criminal organisations. Due to an increase in commerce, cultural affinity and institutional weakness, the Lusophone countries appeared to be an attractive entry point. While West Africa has received the most notoriety for cocaine trafficking, connections between Lusophone countries have expanded the sphere of influence of Brazilian organised crime groups in particular. While the Lusophone route is not the primary entry point to Europe, particularly as the Netherlands and Belgium have overtaken the Iberian Peninsula as key European ports for cocaine, it can reasonably be expected that strong links remain between Lusophone countries UNODC The Brazilian port of Santos plays a vital role in this route. Cocaine seizures rose from 1, kg in to 27, kg in Proinde Large cocaine seizures were registered from —, mainly in three transhipment hubs: the northern hub, comprising of Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Gambia and Senegal, the southern hub, comprising of Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana and the eastern hub comprising of Mali and Mauritania, with Brazil identified as the main departure point UNODC a. Maritime trafficking coexists with trafficking by air, both through commercial and general aviation. Cape Verde and Guinea Bissau are frequently associated with the Lusophone route, particularly during the time periods noted above, when cocaine flow through West Africa peaked UNODC b , however Lusophone countries in southern Africa have also grown in importance. In , nine Angolans were arrested in Portugal linked to cocaine trafficking, and in every passenger was screened on two flights to Luanda from Sao Paolo, resulting in the identification of over 20 cocaine couriers on each flight UNODC b. The cocaine was hidden inside Renault cars manufactured in Brazil and exported to Angola. While Angola has become less of a recognised hub for drug trafficking, with a low ranking for drug trafficking according to the Organised Crime Index — cocaine is still the most prevalent drug moving through the country GITOC a. In , two individuals were detained at Luanda airport coming from Brazil with 12 kilos of cocaine Macau Business In June , an Angolan individual was arrested at Recife airport for attempting to traffic 4. Alongside Angola, Mozambique has become a growing concern. The country is already well established for heroin trafficking from the Makran coast, and there have been increased levels of cocaine arriving in the country for onward transit to South Africa and Europe. Mozambique became a hub for illicit flows as heroin transiting the Indian Ocean began to move further south after successful interdictions in Kenya and Tanzania. Heroin is currently the primary illicit commodity moving through Mozambique. Mozambique is also a hub for illegal logging, trafficking of ivory and rhino horn and the illicit trade in rubies, as well as migration crimes and arms trafficking GITOC b. The growth of Mozambique as a hub for illicit activity is also linked to allegations that key party officials are profiting from organised crime. There is also limited public trust in government institutions, particularly the criminal justice system and anti-corruption infrastructure. This creates a conducive environment for the movement of illicit goods. The emergence of an Islamist insurgency in northern Mozambique in has expanded the enabling environment for illicit activity, as well as the number of actors seeking to profit from it. Cabo Delgado province in northern Mozambique has been the primary hub for illicit activity, as dhows transporting heroin from the Makran coast to East Africa have moved down the coast from Kenya and Tanzania following significant seizures. Initially dhows were landing near Mocimboa de Praia, and transferring heroin to fishing boats Haysom Mocimboa de Praia has been a hub for the trafficking of heroin, arms and people, but since the town was taken over by the insurgent group Ahlu Sunna wa Jammu ASWJ in August , dhows have been moving further south to Pemba and even Nacala to avoid risks posed by the insurgency. Dhows have also been used to transport people from the Horn of Africa to the Mozambican coast. Once landed, drug shipments move in different directions. Methamphetamines are primarily destined for the South African market, whereas heroin moves both north and south overland Eligh As well as being the entry point for heroin and methamphetamines, ports in Cabo Delgado — particularly Pemba and Nacala — are also being used to export commodities, particularly wildlife, Illegal timber, rubies, ivory and pangolin scale have all been identified USAID Weak governance in Cabo Delgado has provided an opening for illicit activity, and this is further exploited by OCGs to expand their activities. InsightCrime argues that the routes established by the heroin trade have attracted Brazilian organised crime to begin shipping cocaine Ford With InsightCrime first raising the alarm regarding cocaine trafficking into Mozambique in , seizures have steadily increased. However, there are also instances where cocaine has been seized in Pemba, arriving in containers from Brazil All Africa Once in Mozambique, cocaine uses the same routes as heroin and methamphetamine to reach markets in South Africa and Europe. The link to Brazil has been well established through the seizure of containers mentioned above. Cocaine destined for Mozambique is also being seized in Brazil. On 7 June , two people were arrested at Rio de Janeiro airport enroute to Maputo with 18 kg of cocaine. This followed a March arrest at Sao Paolo airport with 5kg, and a January arrest at Fortaleza airport with 32kg, the latter travelling to Mozambique via Portugal Ford As mentioned above, prior to Covid, many more incidents were recorded with smaller amounts of cocaine, including the five incidents in at Sao Paolo airport Ford Travel restrictions in forced traffickers to rely on post and commercial freight, as in the case of cocaine disguised in soap bound for Mozambique Brazilian Ministry of Economy A trade agreement signed between Brazil and Mozambique in that facilitated the import of containerised goods from Brazil eased container movements, even though it is not the shortest route Johnson In October , 5 tons of cocaine disguised in washing powder was seized in the port of Rio de Janeiro port, about to depart for Mozambique El Pais However, seizures only represent a fraction of the current flow of cocaine to Mozambique, particularly given the allegations on the involvement of state officials. As discussed above, cocaine shipments are not new in Mozambique. A more recent trend has been attempts by the PCC to consolidate control over Mozambique as a cocaine hub for eastern Africa and the far east. According to the local newspaper Carta MZ Carta de Mozambique Fuminho, at the moment of his detention, was already in control of the main cocaine supply lines in Mozambique and coordinated shipments to South Africa, from where cocaine could easily reach other parts of Africa and Europe. Senior sources at the Brazilian Federal Police have confirmed that the PCC is exploring new routes to Africa and that Fuminho had been operating in Africa for at least 10 years. According to the Brazilian press, the main mission of Fuminho was to secure the African route in a move that would have represented the second international expansion of the PCC after consolidating its control of Paraguayan cocaine routes. In recent years, Fuminho trafficked both cocaine and arms to several African countries and built an association with Nigerian partners Diniz Nigerian organisations frequently rely on the PCC to export cocaine to Nigeria through the port of Santos Adeleye The role of Tuta may have been to provide a similar connection to Mozambique. On the contrary, to date the PCC has collaborated with other organisations. In this case, the PCC acted as the main wholesale supplier for the Italian organisation. However, when it comes to domestic groups, the PCC has been more forceful. Cocaine routes through Paraguay used to be controlled by local criminal organisations, the most prominent of which was the Rotela Clan. This clan was eliminated when the PCC sought to control cocaine trafficking chokepoints into Brazil, more specifically in Pedro Juan Caballero. As the PCC moved into Paraguay, it became one of the dominant actors, controlling jails, opening new routes and eliminating local organisations by force. While pushing out local criminal organisations, local corrupt elites took advantage of new opportunities brought by the PCC, and quickly established alliances with the group. The first hint is that Fuminho, the PCC associate, had been operating in Southern Africa for 10 years without clashing with any other local organisations, or raising any significant alarms among local institutions. In addition, it is likely that Paraguay was seen by the PCC as an open market, ready to be captured and transformed into a drug trafficking hub that was tied into Brazil. In other areas, the PCC has revealed an interest in colluding where necessary, rather than clashing, as evidenced in the partnership with Nigerian organisations. The PCC has potentially also tapped into their networks with other international organisations to access senior officials and elites to provide protection, infrastructure and financial services. The PCC has also demonstrated that it prefers operating in states that are already criminalised, or are in an advanced state of criminalisation. This allows them to operate with a lower profile, exploiting existing routes, facilitators and corrupt local elites. In sum, investment needed to consolidate new routes is significantly lower than in places where they must replicate those conditions through the use of force. The challenge with Mozambique will be the extent to which the PCC can support the interests of the political elite cashing in on organised criminality rather than compete. Criminal markets in the country are not dominated by domestic criminal groups, rather they are overseen by powerful individuals. Organised crime in Mozambique is dominated by political elites, with commodities split between different actors. To maintain this division, law enforcement have also been recipients of significant bribes related to drug trafficking, such as the Chief of Customs Domingos Tivane Wikileaks Mohamed Bashir Suleman, identified in as one of the largest drug traffickers in Mozambique, was linked to then President Guebeza president from — and former President Chissano president from — , and provided substantial campaign finance to both Wikileaks A major scandal involving Guebeza was the take-over of the Northern Development Corridor in July by Insitec Ltd, a company of which Guebeza was a major shareholder Wkileaks The contract involved management of Nacala port and the northern rail network — both key conduits in the movement of illicit commodities. Celso Correira was installed as the head of Insitec Ltd, later becoming the campaign manager for current president Filipe Nyusi, and later Minister for Land and Rural Development Norbrook The current president, Filipe Nyusi incumbent since January has taken a stronger stance against some forms of illicit activity, particularly the illegal wildlife trade. Criminal markets have involved foreign criminal actors until established, at which point domestic actors take over. This is likely because the profit margin in Mozambique, as a transit hub, is not high and political elites are eager to capitalise on the profits that are available. The most long-standing illicit trades are flora and fauna. The trade in timber is controlled by Chinese syndicates, but they work in partnership with Mozambican police as noted above. Chinese syndicates operate fishing vessels along the coast that are used to transport wildlife products USAID Initially, the heroin trade was dominated by Pakistani organised crime groups but has since shifted to Mozambican actors. As stated, the arrest of Fuminho in indicates interest from the PCC in controlling the cocaine trade into Mozambique, with Fuminho working to build partnerships in Mozambique. As with the other illicit flows, there is an expectation that Mozambican elites will be keen to profit from the growth of a cocaine route through the country. In recent years, Mozambique has become a central hub for multiple illicit commodities. The ports in Cabo Delgado province have become points of convergence with different commodities being imported and exported. While weak rule of law initially encouraged Pakistani OCGs to use Mozambique as a transit hub, political elites have been known to take advantage of heroin flows in particular, using other illicit commodities to appease law enforcement. While there is some appetite among law enforcement to respond, the operating environment is difficult. The impact of Covid and the insurgency in northern Mozambique both created a distraction, justifying the lack of government response. The growth of organised crime in Mozambique is facilitated by the involvement of political elites, who have an interest in increasing profits. Political involvement also ensures that the criminal justice system remains weak. Most seizures that have occurred in Mozambique are as result of investigations conducted alongside international actors. Police that are not corrupt are reluctant to pursue criminal actors because of the linkages to politicians Wikileaks In addition, government agencies do not coordinate, which limits those investigations that do go ahead USAID Democratisation is reported to be in retreat in Mozambique, and the response to corruption is also in decline USAID Journalists reporting on corruption or other sensitive issues are at risk of violent attacks Freedom House Money laundering is also relatively straightforward as a result of a casino law introduced by President Guebeza in January to reduce gambling restrictions, reducing the minimum investment for a casino from 15 to 8 million USD, legalising online gambling and allowing slot machines to be positioned in otherwise non-gambling environments Wikileaks As a hub for illicit flows, Cabo Delgado province is highly marginalised, with few livelihood options and limited state presence. As a result, it has also become a hub for exploitative practices in other industries, with human trafficking networks using forced labour in ruby mines USAID The lack of state presence has been a factor in the emergence of ASWJ insurgency since ASWJ does not appear to be directly involved in illicit activity in Cabo Delgado, although the group does reportedly tax flows moving through towns and areas under their control Haysom It is likely that the presence of insurgents is making it more difficult for political elites to benefit from illicit flows moving through ports in northern Mozambique. As a result, there have been increased raids on drug traffickers. In , a government taskforce intercepted multiple vessels resulting in arrests of several foreign drug traffickers, who all received a year prison sentence USAID More recent analysis points to the resilience of trafficking routes in northern Mozambique, shifting away from areas controlled by insurgents and taking alternatives such as through south Cabo Delgado and Nampula Stanyard et al. The growth of cocaine trafficking in Mozambique can be seen as an expansion of the Lusophone route. Links between Brazil and Europe have been strengthening, even as Antwerp and Rotterdam have overtaken Portugal and Spain as the primary entry points. While the importance of African transit hubs has waxed and waned depending on international law enforcement attention, the expansionist objectives of the PCC have evidently resulted in investment into the cultivation of Mozambique as a new frontier for the movement of cocaine. Viewed objectively, the country presents as a strong candidate. Mozambique has become a major hub for heroin and methamphetamine arriving from the Makran coast, with well-established routes to distribute drugs to other parts of Africa and Europe. Accordingly, Mozambique has the infrastructure to support the entry of another commodity. However, unlike other countries where the PCC has taken a key role in cocaine trafficking, such as Paraguay, the political elite are not looking for an external actor to support their interests. For other commodities, these elites have taken control of criminal markets once they have proved to be profitable. As a result, the arrest of Fuminho in may have been collateral damage as Mozambican elites appease donors keen to strengthen the fight against organised crime in the country, or it may be evidence that the PCC has established a criminal market these elites are eager to capitalise on. As of August , Rwandan forces had pushed insurgents out of Mocimboa de Praia. The authors were contracted by the Royal United Services Institute. Adeleye, P. How Nigeria has become key transit hub for global cocaine trafficking. The Africa Report , 16 June. Available at. Mozambique: 25 kilos of cocaine seized in Pemba. All Africa , 27 April. UOL Noticias , 20 December. Benjamin, R. Dakar cocaine seizure shows West African ports are easy transit hubs. The African Report , October Brazilian Ministry of Finance. Brazil Ministry of Finance , 13 September. Clavel, T. Insightcrime , 26 September. Coutinho, L. PRISM , 8 1 : 57— Diniz, K. El Pais , 6 October. Eligh, J. A synthetic age: The evolution of methamphetamine markets in Eastern and Southern Africa. Quantities kg of cocaine seized to Ford, A. Insightcrime , 18 June. Freedom House. Global Organized Crime Index: Angola. Issue 8. Global Organized Crime Index — Mozambique. Observatory of illicit economies in Eastern and Southern Africa. Issue 16, February—March. Globo , 17 June. Haysom, S. Herbert, M. Johnson, RW. PoliticsWeb , 17 May. Kaminsky, K and Squeff, L. Eles tomaram o poder. VEJA, February Linsell, I. Drug trafficking via commercial passenger flights from Brazil. Osprey , 25 August. Macau Business. Angola: Citizens detained at Luanda airport with 12 kilos of cocaine from Brazil. Macau Business , 22 September. Mimi, Y. Insightcrime , 22 April. Norbrook, N. The Africa Report , 10 April. Portal de Angola. Portal de Angola , 17 September. Drug smuggling on bulk carriers out of Brazil on the rise. Proinde , 4 May. Radwin, M. Insightcrime , 17 April. Shaw, M. Rethinking the significance of cocaine seizures. Issue 23, October Insurgency, illicit markets and corruption: The Cabo Delgado conflict and its regional implications. Thomas, S and Jenkins, M. Transparency International , 13 December. Trading Economics. Brazil exports to Africa. Cocaine from the Andes to West Africa to Europe. Transnational Organized Crime in West Africa. World Drug Report Cocaine Insights 1. Ver Angola. Brazilian police detain Angolan at Sao Paulo airport for drug trafficking. Ver Angola , 23 March. Narcotrafficking on upswing, concerns about government connections. Home About. Research Integrity. Crime Beyond Borders. Abstract Mozambique is becoming recognised as an emerging hub for cocaine trafficking, with links stretching back to Brazil. Year: Submitted on May 7, Accepted on May 12, Published on Feb 19, Peer Reviewed. CC Attribution 4. The Lusophone Cocaine Trade Brazil represents an attractive hub for cocaine trafficking organisations in South America. The Emergence of a Lusophone Route to West Africa While West Africa has received the most notoriety for cocaine trafficking, connections between Lusophone countries have expanded the sphere of influence of Brazilian organised crime groups in particular. The Rise of Mozambique as a Criminal Hub Mozambique became a hub for illicit flows as heroin transiting the Indian Ocean began to move further south after successful interdictions in Kenya and Tanzania. An Elite Driven Criminal Environment Organised crime in Mozambique is dominated by political elites, with commodities split between different actors. A Contested Market In recent years, Mozambique has become a central hub for multiple illicit commodities. Conclusion The growth of cocaine trafficking in Mozambique can be seen as an expansion of the Lusophone route. References Adeleye, P.

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Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission. In partnership with Epic Magazine. This is the third installment of a three-part story. In part one, a bankrupt music promoter and his detoxing son attempt to stage a Nas concert in Angola — and become trapped when the show implodes. In part two, with their passports confiscated and heroin withdrawal setting in, they ask a team of mercenaries for help. Skip to: Part 1 Part 2. Patrick Allocco Jr. Embassy, been interrogated by police, and had a near-miss rescue with some South African security operatives and a helicopter. Patrick Jr. The Epic Sana was quite an upgrade: It was the toniest affair in town, close to the waterfront, with a grand atrium, silver tea service, a nightclub, and rooftop dining with a commanding view — although few of those amenities were open. The Sana was still partly under construction, taking guests while gearing up for its grand opening. In their new digs, father and son were a bit of an odd couple. Patrick Sr. They bickered. The kid was like a chimney. In truth, Patrick Jr. But the one thing Patrick Jr. As the days ran together, the Alloccos settled into a strange routine. They slept at odd hours because of the time difference with the U. They watched TV, mostly in Portuguese. To make space, Patrick Sr. He circulated a petition demanding the State Department assist in their release. The Newark Star-Ledger did a feature. But it was frustrating, having the same conversations on repeat, telling the tale over and over, a story with no ending. While his father made calls and media appearances, Patrick Jr. For a business hotel, there never seemed to be anyone doing any business. It was also puzzling that Christmas music still drifted from hidden speakers throughout the facility. In the afternoon, Patrick Jr. He looked fairly shabby compared to the business-traveler crowd, but as usual, he had an easy time talking to strangers: Israelis, Canadians, a Swede, and a man of indeterminate origin who was bald and had devil-themed neck tattoos and turned out to be a tech consultant. One night when Patrick Jr. The Iraqi expressed his sympathy but was unsurprised. Best of luck! At night, Patrick Jr. Little did she know that he would wind up trapped halfway around the world. Then it appeared on the local news. It was the same bar where Rachel and Patrick Jr. A few months later, he texted Rachel out of the blue. It was the middle of a heat wave and his apartment had a pool, so he invited her over. He was clean, he said. Against her better judgment, Rachel went — and had an instant connection. They wound up spending the summer together, getting close quickly, even though she knew his history; her own brother was an addict. She had gone to college. She had her life together. And she hoped he could do the same. His biggest fear had always been falling into the same trap as his mother, and yet there he was. At times he had been shooting close to 50 bags a day. But after several weeks in Angola, Patrick Jr. For hours at a time, Patrick Jr. But Rachel also detected warmth in Patrick Jr. After all, the two of them were spending more time together than they had in years. Rachel became Patrick Jr. He went through the long days looking forward to their late nights on Tango. And during those marathon calls, with the Atlantic Ocean and six time zones between them, Rachel found herself drawn to Patrick Jr. He said it felt like they were in some kind of strange sequel to Groundhog Day. It was a strange relief to be formally charged. One morning, several inspectors had arrived at the hotel and told the Alloccos to report to a DNIC building nearby. They entered a wood-paneled conference room and sat at a horseshoe table. At the other end was Riquinho, glaring, with an attorney. Finally, they were at a hearing. He entered, draped in a black robe. The immigration charges were dropped, which was a nice break, but there was still the dispute over the missing funds. Riquinho accused the Alloccos of fleeing justice. Embassy had suggested. Riquinho said they were crooks, intent on defrauding him from the beginning. The Alloccos said Riquinho had scared off Nas with his bad reputation and dodgy paperwork. The session adjourned, and it seemed like a breakthrough. The weeks in Angola were digging Patrick Sr. He wanted to explain this to Riquinho, but their every communication was fraught. In another negotiation, Riquinho asked Patrick Sr. But no return date had been set and it was unclear how to get a second appearance. At the embassy, State Department officials would have loved to send the Alloccos home, but they too were at the mercy of the local government. McMullen was on his eighth foreign-service assignment, and he had never experienced anything quite like Angola. In other countries, the U. Embassy staff have reliable counterparts for different issues — trade, economics, etc. Not here. There simply was no professional bureaucracy, and it is through bureaucracy that governments resolve conflicts. The days dragged on. Mornings became afternoons became nights became mornings. The sun turned the port deep blue. The city wavered in the heat. The moon shone on the pool. There was still no news from the embassy or any word about a second court date. Guess I should have gotten that international plan, he thought. Panicked about losing his cellular lifeline, Patrick Sr. But, in fact, Patrick Jr. Part of Patrick Sr. Here they were, by complete accident, on that fictional vacation. Even if it was involuntary and indefinite. And yet father and son were surprised to be enjoying their time together. Their fear slid into boredom, and they learned to celebrate the small things. They ordered room service and watched a lot of TV. At times, it was like an endless sleepover, being up at weird hours, eating ice cream, revisiting John Cusack movies, and trying to decipher Disney cartoons dubbed into Portuguese. Their favorite program was a Canadian reality show called Mantracker , where two contestants are dropped in a remote wilderness and must survive while being pursued by an expert tracker. There was something comforting about watching other duos trapped in an unfamiliar environment, fording frigid lakes and avoiding wolverines. Although it was disconcerting when the tracker would show up, often mounted, and lasso his prey into submission. The Alloccos also started getting out of the hotel, exploring the neighborhood. Kids on the street began to recognize them. They got high fives and fist bumps while walking to the supermercado and found a stall that sold rotisserie chicken. The church was a colonial relic but beautiful, with a rose window and delicately painted nave. They stood in silence at the gold altar. Okay, Lady of Remedies, he thought. They had not prayed for pizza, and yet when they happened across Ciao, a genuine pizzeria not far from their hotel, it felt like divine intervention. An Italian expat named Elio, they were delighted to learn, had dedicated himself to serving his authentic home cuisine and imported enough fresh ingredients to present a variety of pies. The food was well priced and spot on: decent pasta, great pizza, just like half the joints back home. Ciao became an oasis. They felt both at home and homesick, thinking of New Jersey, the grass in the backyard, the skyline across the river, the traffic, the toll roads — even the freaking turnpike was a source of nostalgia. The Alloccos roamed further. They walked to the Marginal and strolled beneath the palms along the waterfront. Visiting Orlando became an annual ritual, and Patrick Jr. It was , and Patrick Sr. A week later, the phone rang: Nevada was theirs. A few years later, Patrick Sr. Life never was a perfect suburban idyll, with the frequent turbulence around Patrick Jr. There was a time when the vitriol of Patrick Sr. For a while, she seemed in control. She came to school plays, joined for Patrick Jr. But when her addiction took over, she kept finding herself in trouble with the law: drug charges, robbing a convenience store. Once, she was picked up by state troopers while trying to hitchhike by flagging down cars with her bra, and when they took her back to the station, she stole a police tow vehicle and led several squad cars on a chase up I He tried to shield his son as best he could. One year, Joellen was arrested just before the holidays and was released from Rikers Island at midnight on Christmas Eve. Joellen says the snake thing happened at a different time of year. But by then she was already high. Once, Patrick Jr. He had no idea that the first time Patrick Jr. He was By eighth grade, he was drinking at school and barely graduated from junior high. When Patrick Sr. He tried hippie techniques and tough love. But their talks would escalate to catastrophic blowouts. She encouraged his double-zero ear spacers and took him to get his eyebrow pierced. But there arose a perverse camaraderie, being in the trenches of drug life together. When Patrick Jr. She introduced him to her dealer, brought him smokes in rehab, asked him to pick her up when she got out of jail. Eventually, his mother disappeared more often, and his father got sole custody. Once, the U. Marshals showed up at Patrick Sr. At 17, he dropped out of high school. There was a heartbreaking illogic to Patrick Jr. On the night of the overdose, in the fall of , Patrick Jr. He sucked the dope into the syringe and heard the pop. He thumbed his skin for a vein. The plunger sank. His eyelids fluttered. He swallowed some Xanax and took off all his clothes. The warmth spread in a wave. It was the last thing he remembered. A few minutes later, Patrick Sr. The loud, uneven rasping was just on the other side. Panicked, he forced the door and found his son lying on the ground with a vacuum hose around his neck. But no amount of training can prepare you for finding your own son on the floor, unresponsive, face blue. For a second, Patrick Sr. His hands were trembling as he uncoiled the hose, rolled Patrick Jr. He watched the paramedics put Patrick Jr. He was almost annoyed to be alive. Every day was a ritual of misery. His compulsion felt like a curse. He was estranged from everyone he loved. Nurses removed his restraints just long enough for Patrick Jr. He was allowed in only to retrieve some clothes. On the guest-room bed, there was still debris from the effort to revive him. Maybe his dealer would be down at the Chicken Shack. Maybe it would all be over soon. It was the week before Thanksgiving, and this was not how Patrick Sr. What he wanted was his family around a festive table, cranberry sauce shimmering on a saucer, getting ready to pull the Christmas ornaments out of the closet. Instead, his future was in jeopardy, his son a ghost. Throughout Patrick Jr. This year, Patrick Sr. It was a nice afternoon, and for a few hours it felt as natural as any day back in New Jersey: going to the food court, window shopping, checking out what movies were playing. Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol was starting soon and, miracle of miracles, it was not dubbed. It was almost February. As usual, Patrick Jr. There was Osvaldo, who had a substantial gut and always wore basketball jerseys so tight they looked like a new line of NBA-sanctioned maternity dresses. Erickson was a finance student who wore cornrows and drove the group around in a white minivan. Joseph was always in designer ensembles that made his horn-rimmed glasses even more chic. He started coming to the hotel every day and would talk with the Alloccos for hours. At first they thought he might be a plant from Riquinho, but Patrick Sr. Osvaldo translated paperwork and answered questions about the courts and police. Back in the U. From Luanda, Patrick Sr. Meanwhile, Patrick Jr. His new pals took him to clubs and to Ilha de Cabo, the South Beach of Luanda, where they flirted with girls dancing to Shakira. When he was homeless, Patrick Jr. In Luanda, he had his father, his pizza place, his local market, and his crew. Strange to say, but at the moment the best version of his life was in Luanda. He connected in particular to Erickson, who liked that Patrick Jr. He was excited to show Patrick Jr. Erickson also brought Patrick Jr. They had a chow dog, blue tongue waggling. At one point, Erickson took out an iPad. Erickson was proud to show Patrick Jr. People have a vision of Africa as the end of the world, he said, but the reality is the opposite. But Patrick Jr. One night, Patrick Jr. The temperature had dipped just enough to make for a pleasant tropical evening. There were musicians nearby and smoky food carts grilling lamb over charcoal. People were drinking and eating and there was a group of boys doing capoeira. It was an enchanting sight. Many of the people in the park had likely endured hardship, Patrick Jr. And yet here they were, enjoying life, something he had forgotten how to do a long time ago. Sometimes life surprises you with unlikely moments of joy. Was the senator aware that his two fellow New Jerseyans remained stuck in Angola? These were extraordinary circumstances, he said, but they would redouble their efforts. Rodney Frelinghuysen, the congressman from Patrick Sr. McMullen was candid with both officials about the stalemate. McMullen had realized that dos Santos was paying attention to the case personally. They decided that Menendez, with his perch on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, would draft an official letter to be delivered to dos Santos. Sometimes, ink on the right letterhead can get things moving. The trouble with being pals with the bartender is that you wind up spending a lot of time at the bar. It may have been just a matter of time before Patrick Jr. The glass was cold. No one has ever said Cuca is a great beer, but it looked like magic, all gold with a white head. The lager hit his throat, and the lights went dim for a nice long moment. From the first sip to an empty glass was no more than a minute. Joel had no Jameson and no shot glasses, so instead he filled a rocks glass to the brim with Bushmills. Joel kept pouring, and Patrick Jr. Same thing the next day. And the day after. Patrick would show up in the afternoon, still groggy, and Joel would already be pouring him a pint of Cuca and some Bushmills. Joel started calling Patrick Jr. Osvaldo and his crew hit the small hours pretty hard, and when in party mode Patrick Jr. The Alloccos had been told to be careful, and Patrick Jr. And he was never great at following rules in the first place. So when Patrick Jr. The guards put Patrick Jr. When they woke up Patrick Jr. Erickson, he knew, was an innocent bystander. Osvaldo would later explain that the incident began with an innocent night out. But in the club, he said, people recognized Patrick Jr. Whatever happened, it would not help their cause. Oddly, Osvaldo kept showing up at the Epic Sana, even after all that. Nightlife was over, but Patrick Jr. There was nowhere to go but the bar. When Joel closed up at night, he started leaving the rest of the Bushmills bottle for Patrick Jr. The tedium was rarely broken. One surprise, however, was the day the Alloccos realized the Super Bowl was on. And the Giants were playing. Their home team from the Meadowlands! The game started past midnight in Angola, and the Alloccos were the only interested spectators in the bar. Here was a nice time , Patrick Sr. It was a good game, a nail-biter — Giants leading early, then Patriots ahead for two quarters, with the Giants dramatically charging in the last two minutes. By then it was nearly 3 a. Watching the stadium crowd, Patrick Jr. He looked around and realized where he was: stranded 10, miles from home, with a jungle, a desert, and an ocean in between and no way of getting home. Fucking bullshit. The Giants traveled nearly the whole field to pull ahead with 57 seconds left: a triumphant win. Back in their hotel room, Patrick Jr. His father yelled at him to stop. It was a familiar maelstrom, like when Patrick Jr. He had a point: This was all a cockamamie scheme. And he had had no other options. Nor was it entirely his fault. The regional patchwork trade of promotion was being replaced by vertically integrated monoliths; AEG could book its own talent in 50 cities all through its own venue network. With few opportunities, small-time promoters were forced to take risks. These days, one of the only ways to score a big payday was some cockamamie scheme. So here they were. The next morning, Patrick Jr. He was in pain and embarrassed. His father was there, waiting. It was unlike the aftermath of previous substance-fueled skirmishes. Usually, being scolded by his father would have only escalated the hostility. But Patrick Jr was penitent. Almost without trying, their relationship changed. Now they talked all the time: over breakfast, at the pizzeria, and even at the bar, since Patrick Sr. He realized there were a lot of things his son remembered that he never knew. He told him about the time his mother was high on heroin and he watched two cops drag her up the stairs. There was the time she wound up in the hospital and he was outside her room when the department of child services arrived to take him away. How had he never heard any of this before? These are things a parent is supposed to know. The mutual resentments melted away. The thought was like a lingering bruise. At that moment, they each knew the other better than anyone in the world. Even Lourdes the bartender noticed, watching them bond a little more each day. His father no longer seemed irked about his career ambition. He had spent so much time pitying himself and nursing grievances when in fact he was fortunate. To Rachel, he proclaimed his renewed belief in the possibilities of life. He told her that he was looking forward to settling down with her, having a family. But thank God for Rachel: She believed in him — and called him on his bullshit too. He and Patrick Jr. They collected a few donations from Patrick Sr. It was now mid-February, and the Alloccos were no closer to freedom. If anything, there were continuing setbacks. At Patrick Sr. A second court date had been scheduled — and then canceled with no explanation. They gave a reason, but Patrick Sr. With no legal remedy, no representation, and no money, desperation set in. After Patrick Jr. It seemed dubious, if not dangerous. What if it was a setup? Or another reckless folly? But there was little left to lose. The Alloccos went to the grocery store and stocked up on salami, cheese, and water for the overland journey. The loss of yet another possibility for escape, even one so remote, hit the Alloccos hard. But nothing affected Patrick Sr. His wife had been crying and was worried about breaking the news. He woke up Patrick Jr. He understood the chaotic emotional spiral but felt the need to intervene. The pep talk jolted Patrick Sr. In his next online dispatch, he wrote that when their money ran out, they would leave the Epic Sana and camp outside the U. That should get their attention , he thought. The knock was startling. Hotel staff usually called up to the room, so any time there was an unannounced visitor, the Alloccos worried it could be Riquinho, or his henchmen, or maybe someone else who would shake them down. They were given ten minutes. Still in a towel, Patrick Jr. Embassy security took all of their electronics, swept their luggage for listening devices, and escorted the Alloccos separately downstairs, where the lobby was empty and the doors were blocked by embassy guards. The security staff told Patrick Sr. The reception manager had tears in her eyes. It was ironic, Patrick Jr. Why now? Their case must have gone up to Secretary Clinton, they figured, or even President Obama, who surely authorized this mission. This is how it seemed to the Alloccos as they were led separately down the service elevator to the parking garage, a floor Patrick Jr. He pointed out that Angola was getting bad press as the situation dragged on. Angola needed foreign investment, and even though relations were strained, the U. It was cost-benefit analysis. They got pragmatic. Those months of waiting were just how much time it took the right offices in the giant machine of the State Department to rumble to life and persuasively communicate with the one office in the Angolan government that mattered. Once President dos Santos understood there was little to gain by letting Riquinho keep the Alloccos in the country, that was it. They wanted to see the Alloccos. This was why the embassy pulled them from the hotel. After six weeks of stonewalling, the Angolan court reconvened the following morning at nine on February The public prosecutor quickly ruled that the Alloccos could leave Angola and pay back Riquinho in installments. David Josar thought they were lucky it had only taken this long. He took their new passports and examined them slowly. The officials in Lisbon had said the documents Riquinho provided were not proper visas. Neither were those eventually supplied to Nas and his entourage. Which was why he never showed up. Those suspect documents set all the pieces in motion. Standing in the airport now, the Alloccos watched their old friend at the immigration desk examine their passports and ask them to step aside. They were jittery, imagining that the diplomatic negotiations had somehow been undone or that Riquinho would show up. The Alloccos held their breath, waiting for the official, who eventually consulted his terminal, looked up, and handed back their passports. Walking to the gate and boarding an actual plane felt like a dissociative dream. The daze had not worn off. It was hard to believe any of this happened. It was even harder to think about what would come next. An hour out from New Jersey, panic set in. The conversation got heated. They were in middle seats, and the people on either side got uncomfortable as the Alloccos raised their voices. But her expectations were high. For starters, he was only kind of sober. Descending over New York Harbor, his heart was racing. It would take a while — there would be fits and starts and detours and relapses — but he would learn to fight for his sobriety, join the ironworkers union, knock rivets feet above the East River, marry Rachel, buy a house, have three children. And Patrick Sr. Neither effort succeeded. Father and son would develop an even deeper friendship, still talking every day, even though they were no longer trapped in the same room. With time, they would recognize that Angola brought them together when nothing else could. In an unlikely commemoration of their captivity and reunion, Erickson would later reappear on Facebook and become friends with Patrick Jr. He sent the Alloccos their own Angolan flag for Christmas. In a way, they realized, Nas did them a favor. In absentia, he turned out to be an unlikely but effective therapeutic facilitator. One who succeeded where all the rehabs and family counselors had failed. The plane touched the tarmac. Calm returned to the Alloccos. Whatever their fate would be, it was here. Unless, as Patrick Jr. No one has ever been so happy to see Newark International Airport. When the Alloccos arrived at the gate, a police escort was waiting. On the other side, the Alloccos were greeted with fanfare — family, press, and supporters like the deputy mayor, a local surgeon, and long-lost acquaintances, including a theater professor from college Patrick Sr. News cameras caught Patrick Jr. The welcoming party broke, and it was time for everyone to go their separate ways, which came almost as a surprise. But Patrick Sr. And just like that, the two parted ways. Rachel took Patrick Jr. Now they were all sitting down together for a birthday celebration, ordering a rib-eye, choosing sides, passing the steak sauce. So far, Rachel and Patrick Jr. This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. 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