Ungoverned Space: A National Security Challenge
Whoever the American people elect to be our next president in November, she or he will inherit numerous problems, including terrorism, the hollowing out of […] More
narcotrafficking
The Structure and Psychology of Drug Cartels
One of the most prominent and visible characteristics of a transnational drug trafficking organization is the existence of a highly formal hierarchy that is distinguished […] More
New Developments in Organized Crime in Peru
From May 8 through May 13, I had the opportunity to participate in the international Special Operations Forces exercise “Fuerzas Comando” in Lima, Peru. The […] More
Cocaine and Conflict in Colombia
For a very long time, the word that most often followed a mention of Colombia was cocaine. Colombia was the world’s largest producer of the […] More
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The Fall and Rise of Cocaine
In 1992, Peru produced an estimated 60 percent of the world’s cocaine. At one time, cocaine production was the largest industry in the country, at […] More
A First Hand View of Campesinos and the War on Drugs
My name is Pedro José Arenas Garcia. I am a former Colombian congressman and the director of the Observatory on Growers and Crops Declared Illicit […] More
Illicit Trafficking in Latin America
Major and growing illicit trafficking networks link Latin America to Europe, Asia, and North America. Through these networks, illicit drugs and trafficked human beings flow […] More
The Terror-Crime Nexus
The reach of Latin American illicit trafficking networks extends well beyond the region, according to former U.S. diplomat Celina Realuyo, now a professor at the […] More
Mapping Criminal Networks
Two assumptions about transnational crime disrupt the design of effective security policies worldwide: Assuming that corruption is mainly an economic issue in which private agents […] More
The Threat to the U.S.
With over 30 years working as a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent, Michael Vigil has an extensive understanding of illicit trafficking networks. The former DEA […] More