Transnational Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean

From Evolving Threats and Responses to Integrated, Adaptive Solutions

By (author) R. Evan Ellis

Publication date:

19 March 2018

Length of book:

236 pages

Publisher

Lexington Books

Dimensions:

236x160mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9781498567961

Transnational Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean: From Evolving Threats and Responses to Integrated, Adaptive Solutions provides a comprehensive overview of and introduction to transnational organized crime in Latin America for the student and practitioner. It addresses the geography of illicit activities, including relationships between source, transit, and consumption zones, as well as illicit activities beyond narcotrafficking, such as illegal mining, contraband, human smuggling, and money laundering. It applies a typology of cartels, intermediate groups, gangs, and ideological groups to examine specific criminal organizations and the relationships between them. It makes a comparative assessment of government approaches to combatting transnational organized crime in the region, including discussions of interagency coordination, interdiction, targeting of criminal group leaders, the use of the military in law enforcement, law enforcement reform efforts, prison control, and international cooperation. It concludes by applying these thorough analyses to make concrete recommendations for both Latin American and United States policymakers.
Ellis is a prolific defense intellectual who recently joined the U.S. State Department’s Policy Planning Staff. In this comprehensive and thoughtful book, he underscores the serious threat to U.S. national interests posed by organized criminal groups in Latin America.