Counterdrug programs congressional research service summary drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and u. How illicit trade made america in 1971, richard nixon declared a war on drugs. The countries in west africa have an illicit drug trafficking problem. Thepaper concludes with more specificrecommendations on how to strengthen antinarcotics cooperation between the eu and latin america. Unodc response to illicit drug trafficking, regional initiatives in central america. The former midfielder for colombias national soccer team was extradited on thursday, jan. America s fight against drug trafficking in central america and the caribbean in the 1980s and 1990s shifted the geographic locus of the drug trade to mexico by the early 2000s. The impact of organized crime on democratic governance. In the 1990s, most latin americans felt little effects from drugs or drug trafficking. The information cutoff date used in this report is july 2003. Coverage of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin america. Jun 11, 2014 since the early 1970s when the consumption of drugs became more popular in the united states, drug producing regions in south america saw the opportunity of importing cocaine to the united states as the revenues obtained were superlative compared to softer drugs such as cannabis thoumi, 2002. In 2009, the country produced 270 metric tons mt of cocaine, making it the principal supplier for both the united states and the worldwide market. Drug trafficking often complicates and extends armed conflicts by providing revenue needed to purchase weapons, corrupting law enforcement and military officers, and diverting.
In this paper the role of mexican and brazilian cultures, primarily as they pertain to gender, raceethnicity, and poverty, in latin american trafficking victimization is examined. Maritime drug trafficking in latin america is the primary mean of transportation of illegal drugs produced in this region to global consumer markets. The financial action task force develops standards and promotes the implementation of legislative and regulatory tools to tackle money laundering and terrorist financing. Its aim is to provide readers an introductory yet elaborate text on the illegal drug problem in the region. Drug trafficking in the united states dates back to the 19th century. This report provides a summary of the discussions of nearly 50 journalists and academics from latin america and the caribbean on media coverage of organized crime and drug trafficking in the continent. Air force can and should play in boosting mexicos capacity to counter drug production and trafficking, as well as further honing and adjusting its wider counternarcotics effort in latin america. Interdiction efforts adapt as drug trafficking in africa. The history of central american gangs and drug trafficking is a complex one filled with murder and extortion.
It has also made extensive use of sources available on the internet. The evolution of drug trafficking and organized crime in. This book describes the main patterns and trends of drug trafficking in latin america and analyzes its political, economic and social effects on several countries over the last twenty years. To combat high levels of organized crime, cartel activity, violence, and institutional corruption, central american countries must develop coordinated efforts and joint security measures, with a. Other countries in the region such as haiti and jamaica7 are highly affected by human trafficking and used as trafficking hubs for south american. Jun 23, 2015 a very useful primer for anyone trying to keep up with the everevolving relationship between drug enforcement and drug trafficking. Cocaine is the primary illegal drug smuggled through maritime routes because all of its cultivation and production it is settled in the andean region of south america. This paper will highlight the economic impact of drug trade in mexico by using procontra. Drug trafficking in mexico is a multibilliondollar industry which shapes the country in many ways. Terrorist and organized crime groups in the triborder area. It is particularly timely, as the perception that the war is lost and needs to be changed has never been stronger in latin and north america. The coca cultivation is concentrated in the andes of south america, particularly in colombia, peru and bolivia.
Us prosecutors tie honduras president to drug trafficker. Terrorist and organized crime groups in the triborder. Pdf the impacts of the drug war in latin america and the. Its strategic geographic location in the center of central america, with coastal access to the atlantic and pacific oceans, is a boon for both licit and illicit economic activity, making it a key hub for drug trafficking. This particular threat has emerged as a prominent feature on the u. In colombia, mexico, and brazil, leaders cracked down on cartels in hopes of restoring the rule of law and the states monopoly on force. Ralph espach is an analyst and director of the latin american affairs program at cnas center for strategic studies, in alexandria, virginia. A global overview of narcoticsfunded terrorist and other. Human trafficking has recently garnered much publicity, often being considered the second or third most profitable black market trade after drugs and weapons. Nov 07, 2017 drug trafficking is a major transnational threat in africa that converges with other illicit activities ranging from money laundering to human trafficking and terrorism. This is one of several interpol projects under its global human trafficking task force, which is backed by g7 security ministers. Youngers from drugs and democracy in latin america. Trafficking in illicit drugs, money, and people in latin america harold trinkunas thursday, december 3, 2015. As part of al jazeeras drugs central special, al jazeeras shihab rattansi spoke to steven dudley, the codirector of insight crime, an organisation which examines organised crime in latin america.
In the areas in latin america where the drug production and drug trafficking are high, the environment is taking a major blow, and theres a lot of damage done to the sensitive ecosystems. Drug trafficking through central america is more threatening than ever before. Organized crime and drug trafficking organizations congressional research service 3 even by the latin american experience, the increases in mexicos homicide rate and absolute number of homicides from 2007 to the end of the administration of president felipe calderon in. Indigenous guerrilla and terrorist groups operating in drug producing regions of afghanistan, colombia, peru, and elsewhere are heavily involved in the drug trade. It identifies eight key trends that have characterized illicit drug trafficking and organized crime as of mid2011. For the production of drugs first is needed the raw material, which in latin america is mostly cannabis and coca. Two decades of cooperation between europe and latin america to combat drugs and. Conflict and insecurity are a direct result of drug trafficking and for the cases of colombia and mexico, this is not the exception.
The fight against drug trafficking and crime in the. Ap photofernando vergara, file bogota, colombia ap a former midfielder for colombias national soccer team was extradited on thursday to the united states to face drug trafficking charges. The current transcontinental drug trade in hard drugs in west africa is rising at such a high rate and has captured the attention of the world because of the magnanimity of the negative political consequences in the region. Drug trade in mexico oxford research encyclopedia of. The iranian government allegedly enjoys in latin america the support of the revolutionary armed forces of the colombian group, the farc, which derives its primary source of income from drug trafficking. Drug trafficking united nations office on drugs and crime. Drug trafficking is a global illicit trade involving the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. There is evidence, however, of mounting resistance to the global drug control regime. The impact of organized crime on democratic governance in. Background and policy issues for congress congressional research service 1 introduction the security situation in central america1 has deteriorated in recent years as gangs, drug traffickers, and other criminal groups have expanded their activities in. The production and trafficking of popular illicit drugscocaine, marijuana. Pdf drug policies in several countries of latin america and the. The illegal drug trade in latin america concerns primarily the production and sale of cocaine and cannabis, including the export of these banned substances to the united states and europe. Unodc is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their dynamics.
This report also includes an appendix containing brief profiles of five alleged operatives of islamic fundamentalist groups in the tba and a diagram of drug trafficking routes in the region. The resulting violence has had a major impact on the countrys stability and security. Several organisations operate initiatives aimed at depriving organised crime groups of the profits from drug trafficking. Webbs series led to three federal investigations, none of. Drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence in the.
Mar 03, 2018 with a strong empirical foundation based on the best available data, illegal drugs, drug trafficking and violence in latin america explains how rackets in the region built highly profitable enterprises transshipping and smuggling drugs northbound and why the large circulation of drugs also produced the emergence of vibrant domestic markets. Today, after decades of failing to adequately control drug consumption, an even graver problem has emerged. Latin american authorities cautioned against the presence of irans proxy hezbollah in south america s volatile triborder area tba, noting that the group is using tens of millions of dollars in drug trafficking and money laundering proceeds to fund its jihadi activities, infobae reported friday. Latin america is at the epicentre of the global drug policy debate. Latin america drug trafficking to the us and why making these. Combating drug trafficking in latin america youtube. Jenner abstract forty years ago, the world declared war on drugs. Drug production and trafficking colombia currently accounts for the vast bulk of cocaine produced in latin america. The santo domingo pact sicaunodc mechanism is an interregional programme central america and the caribbean which aims to enhance policy coordination in the field of drug trafficking and organized crime. The making of a global drug a mustread volume for policy makers, concerned citizens, and students alike in the. In areas of latin america where drug production and.
Systems overload drug laws and prisons in latin america there for minor offenses, yet are serving disproportionately. The world drug report 2017 benefited from the expertise and invaluable contributions of unodc colleagues in the drug prevention and health branch of the division for operations. The war on drugs and its discontents the fact that the global war on drugs. Latin america and the international system, gainesville, fl, university press of. This research will argue that colombian and mexican cartels shared some similarities, and that several experiences in. He has authored and coauthored several books, including private environmental regimes in developing countries, latin america in the new international system, combating corruption in latin america, andsecurity in the caribbean basin.
Pdf the economic impact of drug trafficking in mexico. Coverage of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin. Jun 18, 2014 the rise of drug trafficking in latin america has been neglected for so long, that its creating an epic humanitarian crisis on the border, creating a direct threat to national security, and threatens to destabilize the entire region, a congressman said on tuesday. Mexican drug traffickers are the primary transporters of the major narcotics imported into the u. Abstract this paper examines the relationship between narcotics trafficking and violence in central america. The latin american drug trade has emerged as an increasingly serious challenge to regional and international security, and the u. Coverage of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin america and the caribbean. However, as narcotrafficking become the source of funding for violent insurgents and paramilitaries in colombia and peru, and as drug use and drug related gang activity has exploded around the region, that. Africa is a particular concern, although central and south america. The first part of the paper addresses particular questions posed for the 2011 world development report and examines several competing hypothesis on the drivers of crime in central america. Russia aims to prosecute destruction of war monuments abroad. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs that are subject to drug prohibition laws. Afghanistan stands out among this group, accounting for around 90.
From opium to marijuana to cocaine, a variety of substances have been illegally imported, sold and distributed throughout u. Unodc is continuously monitoring and researching global illicit drug markets in order to gain a more comprehensive understanding of. Youngers and eileen rosin, editors executive summary this summary has been adapted by coletta a. Thoumi drug trafficking and society in colombia, a. Despite the great economic benefits of joining a drug cartel, there are also numerous risks.
While speaking before the us congress central america caucus on july 6, insight crime codirector steven dudley outlined how drug trafficking organizations on the isthmus operate and the implications for rule of law and security, before offering three concrete ways the us government can improve its counternarcotics strategy in the region. Colombia soccer star extradited to us on trafficking charges. Pdf the story of drug trafficking in latin america. Air force can play a meaningful role in helping boost partner nations capacities to counter this pernicious threat. Drug trafficking in latin america leads to humanitarian crisis. This article analyses the evolution of illegal drug economy in the americas over the past two decades.
The evolution of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin. To combat high levels of organized crime, cartel activity, violence, and institutional corruption, central american countries must develop coordinated efforts and joint security measures, with a particular focus on community development. This essay identifies eight key trends or patterns that typify the ongoing transforma tion of the drug trade and the organized criminal groups it has. Illegal drugs, drug trafficking and violence in latin america. The impact of organized crime in latin america 5 tres. An overview of the impact of drug trafficking and organized crime on democratic governance in 6 countries in latin america mexico, colombia, guatemala, venezuela peru and brazil. Counterdrug programs congressional research service 1 an overview of illicit drugs in latin america and the caribbean1 in recent decades, latin america has played a central role in several major global illicit drug markets. In recent years, there have been thousands of deaths related to the war against drugs in latin america and it has become a major security threat in the american continent and beyond. Cia involvement in contra cocaine trafficking wikipedia. Drug trafficking and violence in central america and beyond. Money laundering in latin america drug trafficking. Central american gangs and drug trafficking recent. A firstrate update on the state of the longfought hemispheric war on drugs.
The precolombian era of drug trafficking in the americas. The selective bibliography includes books, journal articles, and other reports. We can say that the mexican state is losing the war against drug trafficking and that. In most cases, the relationship between insurgent groups and drug trafficking. The fight against drug trafficking and crime in the americas. Illicit networks and politics in latin america international idea. A global problem with a domestic solution matthew s. The evolution of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin america. Drug world 5 united nations office on drugs and crime. Comparative estimated values of latin american cocaine. The kuwaiti paper mentions as well the trainees presence in colombia. The bloody eruption of the mexican zetas cartel into its territory is the latest chapter in a vicious cycle of repeated government failures, massive corruption and criminal violence that threatens the frail democracy of guatemala, the gateway for most of the drugs reaching the u. How drug trafficking operates, corrupts in central america. Over the past thirty years, a new form of conflict has ravaged latin america s largest countries, with wellarmed drug cartels fighting not only one another but the state itself.
Maritime drug trafficking in latin america wikipedia. Drug trafficking and the press in latin america committee. Local markets have developed as a result of these trafficking routes. Transnational crime remains a particularly serious problem in latin america, with most issues connected to the drug trade.