The Illicit Trade Of Drugs For Terrorism

In the last decades, narco trafficking and organized crime had emerged as the main security threats in Latin America. Deviant globalization increase their power by establishing connections with similar organizations in other parts of the world, like cocaine distribution networks, for example. This perceived danger increases the pressure on the governments for effective solutions, and some of them consider that these problems had overwhelmed the capabilities of the local police. Consequently, the intervention of military forces would be necessary to secure the stability of the countries. However, the use of force as the only solution is the outcome of a misunderstanding of the root causes that generates them. This paper presents the research for a general pattern in the region that is helpful to understand how the civil society perceives the failures of governance and how the networks of illegal activities exploit this perception.

It all started in the Chicago School. Robert Park and Ernest Burgess came up with the idea of social ecology. In the in class text, Schmalleger (2009)

Another dimension to the predicament in Colombia is the drug problem. Colombia is the largest producer and provider of cocaine in the world. This problem, however, is not separate to the armed conflict. In the recent past decades, control over the drug business in Colombia has shifted from drug cartel organizations such as the notorious Medellin Cartel, to both the

Tackling the War on Drugs (CD) and Combating Transnational Crime Organizations (TCO) is an important national security problem. While addressing this issue in a scholastic forum, I immersed myself into this problem set using the guidance of assuming the role of Colonel Tim Killian. Utilizing the provided case and the ADIA framework and course concepts, I reviewed and assessed the information presented. The goal of Joint Task Force North (JTFN) J-5 is to develop a “strategy for military support to counter drug efforts and more broadly fight transnational organized crime.”

In this current day, we are considered to be living in the “golden age of drug trafficking”. In 2016, top officials and diplomats from governments all over the world met at the United Nations headquarters to figure out what do to about the worldwide drug trafficking problem. Over various days of the discussions, they came to the conclusion to make a more extensive advancement and approach, but continue to keep conducting the war on drugs. They developed an “outcome document” that orders countries to restrict, prevent and conflict drug related crime. This will be done by disturbing the trafficking, production, manufacturing and cultivation of drugs such as cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and other banned substances. The UN’s data presents that the “supply-oriented” stand to battling the trafficking of drugs has ld to a consistency of failure. The data also shows that even the billions of dollars that has been spent attempting to exterminate illicit crops, seize loads of drug produce and detain traffickers has led to more worldwide drug use and production than ever. It has also been noted that while these drug treaties continue to not be changes, the pace and evolution of organized crime has been moving right beside the global economy. Progression in transportation, technology and options of travel have been an addition to the capability and productivity of the global economy. To be exact, globalization has driven and fueled this bursted outbreak of the illegal drug trade.

Many have coined the term “balloon term” to illustrate why eradication has failed. Much like how squeezing one side of a balloon just transfers air to the unsqueezed portion of the balloon, eradication just transfers the drug trade to the other regions of South America. A history of political instability has allowed insurgent and guerrilla groups, many of which profit from, and fuel the growth of the drug trade to gain power. Some governments have demonstrated the political will to acknowledge and strike out against corruption, but strong criminal syndicates threaten national sovereignty and institutions. In Colombia, where the Medellín cartel was weakened by the death of its leader, Pablo Escobar, in 1993, the Cali Cartel emerged as the largest in the world in refining, smuggling, and distributing cocaine until it was weakened by the arrest of its leaders in 1995. The huge profits involved in the drug trade contribute to the weakening of the juridical system in some countries and have corrupted segments of the police and the armed forces. In some instances, narco-traffickers have been linked to terrorist activities. They threatened the governments with occasional acts of terrorism and have reached agreements with the Shining Path in Peru and Colombian guerrillas to provide

Drug trafficking is a major issue in Colombia, causing many other issues across the country. Many people involved in the drug trade including civilians are being killed, kidnapped, and injured over this problem. Over the years, the government has started cracking down on the growers, producers, and sellers but so far, they have only caught minor criminals. The government is making agreements with neighboring countries and finding alternative uses for the crops to slow down the production of drugs. Despite all of the efforts being made to stop drug trafficking, violence, and production the cartels are still thriving throughout Colombia.

Drug trafficking has become an increasingly growing problem in the world today. Illegal drug trade is a worldwide black market consisting of production, distribution, packaging, and sale of illegal substances. Although today’s "War on Drugs" is a modern phenomenon, drug problems have been a common problem throughout history. The market for illegal drugs is massive, when we consider the estimated global drug trade value is worth $321 billion (Vulliamy). The most drug trafficking happens on the border between Mexico and the United States. Former Mexican President Felipe Calderon said, “Our neighbor is the largest consumer of drugs in the world. And everybody wants to sell him drugs through our door and our window”

Due to archaic systems of tracking TOC, gaps in the implementation of global law enforcement, uneven norms that lack focus and authority and an inability to confront government corruption, the progress on combating TOC has been significantly slowed. In the case of drug trafficking, systems set by the UNODC attempt to collect data to gauge the size of the drug-using population. With

The relationship between terrorist organizations and drug cartels creates a unique challenge for financial institutions and government entities. The two criminal organizations work together to capitalize on their specific skills or assets (Noriega, 2015). In addition, the globalization of business trade, communications, and logistics has aided in their expanded growth and sophistication (Noriega, 2015). This creates a large and complex web of relationships, criminal activity, and financial transactions that are difficult to detect, deter and prosecute. As documented in the National Terrorist Financing Risk Assessment of 2015, the “ongoing links between drug trafficking networks and terrorist organizations, and their facilitators continue to present a residual terrorist funding risk to the United States through “narco-terrorism” (Department of the Treasury, 2015).

Latin America is known to be one of the most famous zone for drug production and trafficking. As a result, many countries are suffering various consequences of drug trafficking from Latin America. In addition, many drug cartels are making a lot of money from exporting these banned substances into the United States and many countries in Europe. In fact, these drug trafficking does created economic, social, and political sanctioned in many countries. Throughout the entire region, in drug trafficking and production area, there have been reported a high level of crime, violence, and corruption. How to get rid of the drug cartels and curbing drug-related crime? This paper attempts to answer these questions, tracing

Ever since drugs became illegal to be purchased in the early century the whole illegal drug trade started to rise and many individuals especially youth started to join this dangerous and illegal economy. Youths were ambitious and were attracted to this inner city business just to get money in a faster way. That is because drug selling and other illegal activities appeared to be the most effective way to get rich in a faster way. Also many of these youth would rather earn money in a dangerous way than working for someone racially superior. Many of these youngsters joined these underground jobs because of their low economic status they were trapped in. Another reason why these teenagers joined this dangerous economic is because of the autonomy they would get in this job. The fact that they can self govern themselves is essential to them because is something they weren’t able to find in an entry-level job (Bourgois, Pg. 9-10). They also gained respect from the surroundings they would usually socialize with. Practically most of the youths that had joined the underground jobs have had negative experiences in the minimum-wage labor market from their racist bosses or supervisors (Bourgois, Pg. 7). One of the things the underground economy offers that the inner city doesn’t is the fast short-term success. Many young people were looking for the capacity of growing to a higher social or economic position (Bourgois, Pg. 10). However, besides the higher ranking, the respect, and

The convergence or nexus between terrorist groups and transnational crime has its foundation on the symbiotic link between the two. The convergence entails a dynamic that allows both entities to benefit financially. This convergence, which entails long-term and short-term agreements, exists along a continuum and its aim is to exchange expertise such as counterfeiting, bomb-making or money laundering, or operational support that enhances access to the smuggling routes (Piazza 299). A study carried out by the Library of Congress regarding criminal and terrorist organizations realized that the convergence between the two entities comes in three wide blueprints. The first form of contact between terrorist and criminal organizations is alliances of mutual benefit. In this

Drug trafficking and illicit trade have proven to be major problems that the international community face as it enters into the twenty-first century. Currently the illegal drug trade market is one of the largest sectors of the modern global economy. Because of this fact, the drug trade is deeply rooted in many nations economic and social cultures, which makes it very difficult to control. Drug trafficking also brings with it the problems of organized crime money laundering, corruption, and violence. In 1999, the United Nations Economic and Social Council warned that the international drug trade was brutal, dangerous, and ruthless for those involved with its actions, as

According to a report by the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB, 2006), the East African region has become the fallback for drug dealers following increased control of traditional routes through the Netherlands and Spain. The warning followed the discovery of cocaine worth 6.4 billion Kenya shillings in Malindi and Nairobi on December 14, 2004 (Daily Nation, March 2, 2006).