Mints in both countries receive the metal from a North American contractor who mixes dirty gold with domestic supplies, the investigation claims The US and Canadian government mints have for years sourced coin gold from mines controlled by Colombia’s Clan del Golfo drug cartel, despite vowing that all the precious metal is extracted on domestic soil, according to an investigation by the New York Times. The US Mint says its coins are produced “to connect to the founding principles of our nation,”