Organized Crime Publications
It’s All about the Money: Advancing Anti-Money Laundering Efforts in the U.S. and Mexico to Combat TOC
May 16, 2012Mexican criminal organizations generate billions of dollars in revenues in the United States each year and have developed both sophisticated and low tech ways to “launder” their dirty money and continue trafficking.This paper outlines the
use of the financial instruments aimed at degrading TCO's power in the U.S. and Mexico and increasing their cost of doing
business. more
Considering New Strategies for Confronting Organized Crime in Mexico
Mar 29, 2012The Mexico Institute presents a new publication on U.S.-Mexico security cooperation by Senior Associate Eric L. Olson that challenges the conventional wisdom about crime and violence in Mexico and suggests new strategies for effectively addressing the security threats posed by organized crime. more
The Rebellion of Criminal Networks: Organized Crime in Latin America and the Dynamics of Change
Mar 22, 2012This essay introduces the concept of the “rebellion” of criminal networks” to explain the current dynamic of and context within which organized crime operates. The author also outlines the changes that have fostered the emergence of local markets for illegal drugs. The essay concludes with ten recommendations. more
A Review of "My Country: Insights to Understand and Change Mexico"
Feb 01, 2012Eric L. Olson, Senior Associate at the Mexico institute, has reviewed Denise Dresser's book titled "My Country: Insights to Understand and Change Mexico". The review appears on page 10 of the recent issue of 'Americas Quarterly' for winter the of 2012. more
Chronic Violence and its Reproduction: Perverse Trends in Social Relations, Citizenship, and Democracy in Latin America
Nov 01, 2011This report reviews a broad literature on the causes and social effects of chronic violence in Latin America and details the consistent and diverse ways that chronic violence undermines social relations and support for democracy. more
Crime Data and Spillover Violence along the Southwest Border
Oct 14, 2011As organized crime‐related violence has increased in northern Mexico, so has the heated rhetoric regarding the U.S. side of the border. The title of National Geographic’s program, Border Wars, exemplifies the sentiment, echoed by several politicians, that the border region is lawless and dangerous. For residents of the U.S. border region, thankfully, the reality is anything but that. more
Organized Crime in Central America: The Northern Triangle
Sep 14, 2011This publication attempts to create a better understanding of the nature, origins, and evolution of organized crime in Central America by examining the dynamics of organized crime in the three countries of the so-called Northern Triangle as well as the broader regional context that links these case studies. more
Certification: The Path to Conflict-Free Minerals from Congo
Jul 21, 2011The conflict minerals movement is gaining traction. The movement is a pragmatic effort to address one of the principal drivers of atrocities and conflict throughout Congo’s tortured history: the scramble for control of Congo's vast mineral resources. In eastern Congo today, these mineral resources are financing multiple armed groups, many of whom use mass rape as a deliberate strategy to intimidate and control local populations. Armed groups and military units earn hundreds of millions of dollars per year by trading four main minerals: the ores that produce tin, tantalum, tungsten, and gold. This money enables the militias to self-finance their campaign of brutal violence against civilians, with some of the worst abuses occurring in mining areas. more
Security and Trade in Central America
Jul 07, 2011The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars sponsored a
congressional study trip to El Salvador and Guatemala from April 13 through April
18, 2009. It was organized by the Wilson Center on the Hill Program and the Latin
American Program at the Wilson Center. The trip focused on two issues that are critical for the United States’ relationships with countries across Central America – security and economic
development. more
