Transnational organized crime is a significant threat to global peace and security. The menace presents a distinct challenge for post-conflict and fragile countries and necessitates the use of innovative responses. Transnational organized crime (TOC) not only destabilizes the strength of a state, but also considerably affects the core relationship between countries and their citizens. The corrupt nature of this correlation in fragile and post-war nations thwarts any efforts taken to restore peace, security, and prosperity. According to Locke (2012, p. 1), approximately eighty percent of all the illegal activities in the world occur in nations with feeble law enforcement machinery, unsatisfactory capacity of the government, low economic well-being, …show more content…
It also deters a country’s aptitude to realize any meaningful economic and social development for most of the fragile and post-war states. It dents family, religious, and social structures, and impacts every individual, men, women, and children alike. Recently, TOC has evolved into a systemic element of governance in countries such as Guatemala and Ukraine, whereby government officials and politicians have changed it from a reason for prosecution to an alleged rationale for revolutions (Wyler, 2008, p. 22). The apparent relationship between TOC, conflict, and state fragility is the focus of this …show more content…
According to Miraglia, Ochoa, and Briscoe (2012, p. 11), one of the primary aspects of the logistical maneuvers of TOC involves the use of frail countries as intermediate transit points for a particular supply chain. This view holds that the penetration of TOC in a particular state is not necessarily as a result of the criminal network’s interest in the local market with regard to consumption or production. Instead, criminals may exploit the inherent weaknesses of such states by creating routes for the passage of illegal goods in transit to another destination. The global infrastructure presents various opportunities that international criminal organizations can appropriate to serve the growing demand for illegal products. Efforts to enhance border security and manage criminal activities are considerably hindered by the speed and flexibility of commerce, easy electronic communication, and the diversification of routes used for trading purposes (Carment, Prest, & Samy, 2009, p. 329). Although various techniques may be employed to curb cross-border trafficking, including meticulous checks in custom posts and borders or the scanning of containers, such measures are hindered
Organized crime is an international issue and it exists in several different countries, such as; Italy, China, Japan, Russia and the United States of America. Although all these groups of organized crime have many things in common they tend to have different ways of doing something, or they may not do them at all. Many also commit similar types of crimes, and others commit crimes other groups would not.
Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, is a well-known transnational criminal organization (TCO) originating from El Salvador. They are specifically targeted for its involvement in transnational criminal activities including drug trafficking, kidnapping, human trafficking, sex trafficking, and many more. It is certain that there are more transnational gangs other than MS-13, but the reality of these gangs impact society, and their neighborhoods, more than one can imagine. There are underlying realities “that make it difficult to generalize [the gangs].” The one of many underlying realities is that each neighborhood level gang group of transnational gangs, particularly MS-13, has a “great deal of autonomy in the relationship it maintains with other organizations.” The second reality factor is that gangs, especially MS-13 in El Salvador are in a state of turmoil. The third reality factor is that the gangs in Central America differ from each other in significant ways. Although most gangs are involved in human smuggling and drug retail, MS-13 has a solidified relationship with “transportista networks and are reaching out to Mexican TCOs.” These realities can be analyzed with Taussig’s notions and theoretical framework of space of death.
Political violence is action taken to achieve political goals that may include armed revolution, civil strife, terrorism, war or other such activities that could result in injury, loss of property or loss of life. Political violence often occurs as a result of groups or individuals believing that the current political systems or anti-democratic leadership, often being dictatorial in nature, will not respond to their political ambitions or demands, nor accept their political objectives or recognize their grievances. Formally organized groups, Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), businesses and collectives of individual citizens are non-state actors, that being that they are not locally, nationally or internationally recognized legitimate civilian or military authorities. The Cotonou Agreement of 2000 defines non-state actors as being those parties belonging to the private sector, economic and social partners and civil society in all its forms according to national characteristics. Historical observation shows that nation states with political institutions that are not capable of, or that are resistant to recognizing and addressing societies issues and grievances are more likely to see political violence manifest as a result of disparity amongst the population. This essay will examine why non-state political violence occurs including root and trigger causes by looking at the motivations that inspire groups and individuals to resort to non-conforming behaviors that manifest as occurrences of non-state political violence. Using terrorism and Islamic militancy on the one side, and human rights and basic freedoms on the other as examples, it will look at these two primary kinds of political violence that are most prevalent in the world ...
Drugs have influenced daily life and society since the day of their discovery centuries ago. Their impact ranges from medical to industrial, to recreational to political, and to criminal. Drugs can not only influence the individual, but even cities or countries as whole. A prime example of the power of drugs is the establishment and occupation of the drug cartels in Mexico. Not only have the effects of these cartels infamously changed Mexico, but they have traveled to the United States (US), and change continues to be exchanged between the two. The following report attempts to answer the question, what are the Mexican drug cartels, and how are the United States and Mexico effected by them? A brief history and introduction of Mexican drug cartels
Winslow, R. W., & Zhang, S. (2008). Contemporary Theories of Crime. Criminology: a global perspective (). Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
It is impossible to maintain social order without the existence of law enforcement. The expectation of uniformity is unrealistic among everyone in any given society. The mixing of various nationalities, culture, religion, and especially socioeconomic backgrounds generate conflict. Conflict can only be remedied by a neutral entity. The current trends in the impact law enforcement has on minimizing crime globally and domestically proves law enforcement is necessary. Social order is integral in order to generate an environment free from terror and unpredictable chaos. We have learned from historical events that citizens, of any given society, to police themselves, results in constant violence among parties with incompatibilities in their relations with one another. Roufa, T. (2012)
The term "Russian organized crime" (ROC) refers to criminal groups from the 15 republics which comprised the former Soviet Union. ROC has existed for 20 years in the United States but during the last five years law enforcement authorities have observed a distinct increase in their criminal activities. Criminals from the former Soviet Union have established their networks in major cities and are also emerging in some smaller cities. ROC groups are involved in murder, money laundering, extortion, auto theft, weapons smuggling, narcotics trafficking, prostitution, counterfeiting currency, and a multitude of complex fraud schemes.
Shanty, Frank, and Patit Paban. Mishra. Organized Crime: From Trafficking to Terrorism. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2008. Print.
The Mexican drug cartel is made up of many different cartels, but the main one is the Sinaloa cartel. The Sinaloa cartel is one of the most dangerous cartels in mexico, it is also the most optimistic cartel in mexico, they will go to high extents into their projects. The leader of the Sinaloa cartel is Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, he is believed to be one of the most powerful drug lords in the whole world. There aren’t many organizations trying to stop the cartels besides the DEA which stands for Drug Enforcement Administration. The drug cartel is all about smuggling drugs to many parts of the world but mostly the U.S. since they share borders and is the closest place to take drugs to.
Drug trafficking has been a massive concern between the borders of Mexico and the U.S. “since mid 1970s” (Wyler, 1). Drug trafficking is “knowingly being in possession, manufacturing, selling, purchasing, or delivering an illegal, controlled substance” (LaMance, 1). A dynamic relationship exists amongst Columbia, Mexico, and the U.S. the informal drug trafficking economy. This growing informal drug economy leads to many individuals creating a substantial living through this undercover market. These individual drug cartels monopolizing the trafficking market are a growing problem for the U.S economy and need to be located and controlled. If this trafficking continues, the U.S. informal economy will crush the growth of legal industries. The trafficking and abuse of drugs in the U.S. affects nearly all aspects of consumer life. Drug trafficking remains a growing issue and concern to the U.S. government. The U.S. border control must find a way to work with Mexico to overpower the individuals who contribute to the drug trafficking business. This market must be seized and these individuals must be stopped.
As globalization continues to flourish and evolve, this creates further opportunities in which individuals are able to launder money with greater ease, efficiency in profit and sophistication. Through the forms of economic globalization, people may use new forms of travel to their advantage and personal gain. It is widely recognized (Pfaller, A & Lerch, M 2005, Auernheimer, L 2003) that this is becoming a significant challenge in the international sphere. Through globalization, criminals are able to create new means to commit crime for an economic benefit and avoid prosecution through new forms of travel. This allows them to spread transactions across multiple nations around the globe, thus increasing the number of obstacles that need to be overcome for an investigation to be completed (Karofi, U, Mwanza, J). For example, this can be explained through the new forms of money laundering. Money laundering is ‘the process by which one conceals the existence, illegal source, or illegal application of income, and disguises that income to make it appear legitimate’ (President’s Commission on Organised Crime 1984, p. 7). This can be achieved through the process of transporting diamonds or gold or even through wire transfers (Morris-Cotterill, N). The lack of risk that is involved in these contemporary crimes is increasing the appeal for crimes such money laundering to occur. This is due to the fact that criminals know that it will prove to be difficult to investigate and prosecute their activities when it occurs on a transnational basis. This, in turn, gives more individuals the opportunity to commit these crimes with little risk that they will be caught. Furthermore, this targets potential naïve victims into partaking in these forms of c...
Weak and failed states share many common characteristics. One of the most common features of a weak state is the presence of persistent violence. This violence is in the form of civil wars and civil unrest, this is an indicator that a government has lost legitimacy as well as control over some parts of territory. Other features include a weak bureaucracy that is very susceptible to corruption especially corruption from non-state actors such as terrorists and warlords. As the government’s power and influence continues to decline, citizens turn to these non-s...
While the policy regulations of states strive to maintain their sovereignty, states have long recognised their interdependence in policing transnational illegal activity (Gerspacher 2009). Transnational crime has long posed a significant obstacle to policing efforts. The extensive effects of globalisation, world political and economic shifts, technological advances, security challenges and the implications of climate change, have all served to influence the crime environment and make the job of policing the community more challenging than ever before (Keelty 2007). According to Hills (2009) there is a widely shared conviction that international police forces must co-operate if they are to respond effectively to the crime and insecurity facilitated by globalisation. Operation Cathedral and the Solomon Islands peacekeeping operation will be explored in order to illustrate the negative and positive consequences of involvement in international policing operations.
According to Jay Albanese organized crime is a continuing criminal enterprise that is rationally working to produce profit through illicit activities based on demand, where its existence is kept through force, threats, and corruption (Albanese 2004). When looking at transnational organized crime, we are looking at crimes that involve crossing national borders and individuals who work within more than one country to complete illicit business endeavors. I argue that political and systemic issues as well as outside influences leave weaker governed countries more exposed to the risks of transnational organized crime. I will be exploring four different areas related to this topic in order to understand why these countries experience an abundance of transnational crime; how it has become available through globalization, whereby the world has become an increasingly smaller place; factors that allow for countries to become more susceptible to criminal activity; the international moral panic that allows for policy control and global influence; and a link between organized crime and terrorism and its use to larger countries. This is an important topic because as the world shrinks our connection to one another grows and the influence one faces may cause repercussions upon all of us one day.
With the world changing and advancing with technology, criminal organizations are taking advantage of new opportunities. The advancement of travel, ease of communication, and an increase in demand, has all contributed to the globalization of crime. Every nation has been affected by the globalization of crime and the problem continues to grow.