Drug Policy

Eliminate root causes of violence to “manage” drug cartels

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Kingpin strategies have become one of the most hotly debated tactics in the “war on drugs” and the “global war on terrorism.” Kingpin decapitations, or strikes as they are often called, disrupt illicit networks — but create instability and therefore unintended consequences such as increased homicide and kidnap rates. Additionally, illicit networks adapt to the strategy and restructure themselves accordingly. While kingpin strategies can fragment cartels, the root causes of drug prohibition and weak state capacity must be addressed in tandem to effectively manage organized crime networks in Latin America. Continue Reading →

Strategy to target drug kingpins a tactic, not a solution

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One of the fundamental questions for the Mexican government under President Felipe Calderón has been how to develop its intelligence capabilities to defeat the narco-cartels that have sown so much internal insecurity in Mexico. There is a lesson to be learned from a 2009 challenge by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the Defense Department’s research and development arm. Continue Reading →

Targeting criminals, not crimes: The kingpin strategy works

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The kingpin strategy is a 20-year-old targeting methodology developed by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in 1992 to target the command and control elements of major drug trafficking organizations. The strategy initially targeted cocaine trafficking organizations operating out of Medellin and Cali, Colombia, with most of the focus placed on the Cali cartel. As the strategy evolved and resulted in important gains, it was adapted as a model by several foreign nations, namely Colombia and Mexico. Components of the kingpin strategy model are still in use today, though it has been further refined and currently operates under the larger Strategy to Combat Transnational Organized Crime as a means by which to disrupt and dismantle any groups that would bring harm to the national security of United States. Continue Reading →

The use of symbolic violence in Mexico’s drug war

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Extreme and symbolic violence has become a form communication in the context of weak Mexican state capacity and the presence of powerful organized crime groups. It is important not to exaggerate the use of symbolic violence in the Mexican “drug war,” as it can lead to false understandings. Before explaining how extreme violence is used in the context of Mexico, we must first understand Mexican drug violence in comparative and historical context. Continue Reading →

Extreme narco violence in Mexico

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Mexico’s drug war has challenged state solvency throughout the sexenio, or six-year-term, of President Felipe Calderón. During the intense confrontation among drug cartels, gangs and state institutions at all levels, the cartels have battled for freedom of movement. They seek to operate freely without interference from the government of Mexico or its constituent organs. The battle is for dominance of the drug trafficking plazas (zones) in Mexico and the illicit flows that extend to the United States, Europe and Latin America at large. Continue Reading →

Marijuana: A case against legalization

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Unfortunately, there is a fundamental disconnect between what research tells us about marijuana, on the one hand, and relaxed public attitudes toward the drug, on the other. Add to this the relentless campaign to legislate raw marijuana as medicine, or to legalize the drug outright, and we get parents and lawmakers who are confused and conflicted. All of this confusion has muddied the policy waters so thoroughly that urban legends rule the day when it comes to marijuana. It’s time to get honest, heed the science and realize that the answer to the question “What is the most effective marijuana policy?” may not be as easy as one might think.

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