About this Talk

A New Generation of ‘Cartels’: Transnational Criminal Networks and Militarization in the Americas

This presentation explains the recent transformation of transnational organized crime in Mexico—and hence, in the United States and the Americas overall. It explicates the current configuration of illicit drug markets in the Western Hemisphere as a result of the militarization of the U.S. anti-narcotics strategy and cooperation negotiated or imposed mainly by U.S. law enforcement agencies upon countries of the Global South, such as Mexico and Colombia. The relevant changes are described in the context of the fentanyl crisis and a global transition to renewable energies. This presentation is particularly relevant considering the arguments that justify the utilization of US military force directly in Mexico’s territory allegedly to dismantle what many refer to as “drug cartels.” The present analysis focuses on the model of the Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (Jalisco New Generation Cartel), its tactics and territorial control in an era of renewable energy transition.


The routinization of organized crime killings in contexts of limited statehood

Drawing upon survivor and perpetrator testimonies from a massacre committed by the Mexican organized crime group known as Los Zetas, this article posits that in contexts of Limited statehood, decision-making processes within OCGs regarding killings can become routinized. Within such environments, choices surrounding the utilization of lethal violence are governed by predefined rules and standardized procedures, rather than being subject to individualized deliberations regarding the impact of killing on the overarching objectives of the group. Consequently, while the large-scale patterns of homicidal violence may still reflect OCGs’ strategic goals, specific instances may occasionally be entirely detached from these overarching aims.


On Becoming Cabrona - Pathways to organized crime among women involved in criminal groups in Mexico

The armed conflict in Mexico is often perceived as a conflict among men, where women are primarily seen as victims with limited decision-making and agency. This androcentric view of public security hinders the recognition of the diverse roles women play in criminal organizations and, more importantly, the structural factors that lead them to become involved in these groups and the challenges they face for their demobilization and reintegration. Twenty interviews were conducted with women involved with criminal organizations between August 2022 and April 2023. The interviews took place in public spaces, annexes for the treatment of drug problems, and prisons. Prior to the interview, women residing in confinement contexts participated in a workshop on criminal violence and everyday life, aimed at familiarizing potential participants with the researcher and creating a common ground for discussing how they had experienced criminal violence in their communities and its impacts in various aspects of their lives. After the workshop, participants were invited for an interview to share their experiences as part of criminal groups. The stories of the interviewed women allow us to break away from the victim-perpetrator dichotomy within the framework of the armed conflict in Mexico and instead consider the implications of normalizing violence against women in the strategies of survival and agency available to young women in impoverished and violent contexts.


A new framework for using Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) on organized crime investigations

OSINT refers to the creation of intelligence products based on public-access sources in order to contribute to the decision-making process within an organization. Given its particular characteristics (easy to use, low-cost, wide availability and minimal technical barrier entries), during the last decade its use as investigative resource has grown among law enforcement agencies worldwide. Combined with other approaches, such as context analysis, it can provide invaluable insights for better understanding how organized crime works within a particular geographic context. This presentation shows a framework designed specifically to generate intelligence on organized crime, with a study case in Mexico.

18 October 2023, 11:30 PM

11:30 PM - 12:45 AM

About The Speakers

Guadalupe Correa Cabrera

Guadalupe Correa Cabrera

Professor, George Mason University

Professor of Policy and Government at George Mason University. Areas of expertise: international security, migration studies, Mexico-US relations and border studies. Past President of the Association for Borderlands Studies (ABS). Co-editor of the International Studies Perspectives journal (OUP).


Diorella Islas

Diorella Islas

International Fellow, Women In International Security

International Fellow at Women in International Security, private consultant and lecturer at Tec de Monterrey.


Valentin Pereda

Valentin Pereda

International Centre for Comparative Criminology, University of Montreal


Angélica Ospina-Escobar

Angélica Ospina-Escobar

International Crisis Group, Mexico, Conahcyt

Associate Researcher at National Council for Science and Techonology (Conacyt). Gender Fellow for Mexico at International Crisis Group.


Amaury Fierro Gonzalez

Amaury Fierro Gonzalez

Senior Partner, Tavistock Risk Lab, Lecturer on Intelligence, National Institute of Public Administration (Mexico)

Intelligence practitioner, lecturer on geopolitics, critical thinking and cybersecurity.