Transnational Organized Crime

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.

August 2015, 907 murders, and average of 25 murders per day committed by 13-15 year old gang members. (Transnational Gangs Part 1;Understanding the Threat, 2016) El Salvador is the epicenter of gang activity in Central America and the largest influence on gang activity in the US. Showing no respect for law enforcement, borders, and little for human life gang violence is a requirement for young teens to become members of the La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, and the 18th Street gangs. Two years of initiation culminating in at least one murder are required to obtain membership in these gangs.

United States Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) has been working to build regional and interagency partnerships to ensure the continued stability of the Western Hemisphere and the forward defense of the U.S. homeland for more than fifty years. U.S. Southern Command is responsible to the Secretary of Defense and the President of the United States for national security interests through roughly one half of this hemisphere – 31 countries, 16 dependencies and areas of special sovereignty, and approximately four hundred and sixty million people. SOUTHCOM’s area of responsibility includes the land mass of Latin America south of Mexico; the waters adjacent to Central and South America; and the Caribbean Sea. (United States Southern Commamd n.d.) SOUTHCOM priorities are: (1) Countering Transnational Organized Crime; (2) Counterterrorism; (3) Building Partner Capacity; (4) Contingency Response; (5) Detainee Operations. SOUTHCOM missions are carried out by its component commands: (1) U.S. Army South; (2) 12th Air Force (AF South); (3) U.S. Marine Corps Forces South; (4) U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command; (5) Special Operations Command South; (6) Joint Task Force Bravo, Soto Cano Air Base; (7) Joint Task Force Guantanamo; and (8) Joint Interagency Task Force South. (114th Congress Senate Armed Services Committee 2016)

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs roots began post World War II. These gangs have been classified as an organized crime affiliate due to the ongoing illegal activities they engage in for profit. I chose this topic because I have always been interested in these groups coincidentally, people I know through the military surprisingly have ties to biker gangs, despite the fact it is not authorized. Furthermore, a number of members are veterans, which makes sense due to a lot of these “clubs” establishing during war times and use a similar hierarchy. One article I had read was about the first Outlaw Motorcycle Club, founded in Chicago in 1935. That article was from the webpage entitled “Outlaws MC (est. 1935) More than Eighty Years of Biking and Brotherhood”

The Mexican Mafia, or “La Eme”, as they refer to themselves, is one of the most powerful and influential organized crime gangs in the United States. The organization has risen through the decades of mass gang wars and violence to become the power it is today. Their control is limitless and they have ventured far beyond the expectations of what was thought that gangs were capable of. They have infiltrated governments and manipulated politics. They have taken over neighborhoods and attempted to ethnically cleanse them. Innocent people have become caught up in the affairs of La Eme throughout its history and many have faced violence and death at their hands. This paper is a continual of the case analysis of the Mexican Mafia and will attempt to provide explanations for some of the crimes committed by this organization. Researching gangs and organized crime is important because of their large influence and control over many aspects of daily life. The significance of attempting to provide causations of their crimes can better provide the criminal justice system a clearer understanding of problems that lead to gang members committing crimes on behalf of the organization. A clearer understanding of problems can help the system to provide solutions to combat situations that inhibit crimes.

Over the last twenty years, Peru has seen economic growth, reduction in poverty, and minimal inflation rates. Despite this growth, Peru still faces major challenges: upwards of 25% of its population still lives in poverty, it is one of top producers of illegal cocaine, and there are ongoing social battles over Peru 's natural resources. However, the U.S. has allied with Peru to support anti-narcotics programs and alternative development projects. Also, the U.S. is one of Peru 's most significant investors and trade partners. With this positive, cooperative relationship, our troops will not be perceived as threats in this country (U.S. Department of State, 2013).

The US Government, along with non-state US actors, has had a long and violent history of involvement in Central and South American politics. Concurrent US administrations have supported coupes and regime changes in order to achieve immediate goals, or to avoid perceived threats. US involvement, however, has often been accompanied by negative consequences and atrocities. The US must break from old paradigm in order to develop a sustainable partnership in the Americas.

U. S has taken a position to implement vital steps to police illegal activities worldwide. Also, using the Law enforcement agencies to find solutions and best practices is critical to stopping transnational organized crime. The United States government plays an important part in this process. They must engage in stricter policies and strategic thinking to fight the corruption of transnational organized crime.

In this research paper I will discuss one transnational crime, and compare the contrast of two nations for their definition of the crime rate, and tools used to measure the crime. I will give each country’s legal tradition and their major influences on crime definition, rate, and measurement. In this assignment I will analyze the extent to which crime statistics collected in different nations can adequately be compared.

According to justice.gov the term “Transnational Organized Crime refers to those self-perpetuating associations of individuals who operate internationally for the purpose of obtaining power, influence, monetary and/or commercial gains, wholly or in part by illegal means, while protecting their activities through a pattern of corruption or violence”. There are many activities that can be characterized as transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, smuggling of migrants, human trafficking, trafficking in firearms, counterfeit goods, wildlife and cultural property, money-laundering, and even some aspects of cybercrime. As Globalization continues to occur technology related crimes are evolving and increasing, which is starting to play an effective role in the global economy. In 2009 TOC was estimated to generate $870

Not only is drug trafficking a major concern for Panama internally, but it is also a large issue externally, mainly in regards to their border disputes with its neighboring countries. As mentioned earlier in “Panama’s Three Major Issues,” according to CIA World Factbook, “Organized illegal narcotics operations in Colombia operate within the remote border region with Panama”, and historically Panama has been “...the destination of choice for smurfed money orders…” (Andelman). In order to make a dent in the drug trafficking issue, Panama needs to cohesively work with neighboring countries. This can be done by making major improvements in the government and military. One suggestion presented by President

The Republic of Costa Rica has gone from being one bridge of many for drug trafficking between South and North America to becoming established warehouses and trading center for drug cartels (Gobierno de Costa Rica, 2014). Since 1949, we don't have an army force, but we have an police forces, coast guard, air surveillance, and border patrol to combat drug trafficking (Gobierno de la Republica de Costa Rica, 2014). In 2013, Costa Rica ranked fourth in cocaine seizures in the Americas (United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), 2014).

Using the dominant motivation of organized crime, the United Nations in 1992, in addition to the questionnaire of the Fourth Survey on Crime Trends has requested information on 14 types of transnational organized crime: money laundering, terrorist activity, the theft of works of art and culture, intellectual property theft, illegal arms trade, capture aircraft, maritime piracy, seizing vehicles, fraud, computer crime, environmental crime, trafficking in human organs trafficking, drug trafficking .In The World Conference on organized crime in Naples in November 1994, the list was supplemented with illegal gambling, smuggling of illegal migrants, extortion, illegal trade in radioactive materials, illegal trade in endangered species, transnational

Transnational crime is a growing problem. Transnational crime is defined as “self-perpetuating associations of individuals who operate transnational for the purpose of obtaining power, influence, monetary and/or commercial gains, wholly or in part by illegal means, while protecting their activities through a pattern of corruption and/ or violence, or while protecting their illegal activities through a transnational structure and the exploitation of transnational commerce or communication mechanisms.” (National Security Council, n.d.) . Transnational crimes are known under other names such as cross-national crime, global crime, international crime, and

This essay will discuss some threats transnational organised crime have to Southeast Asian states. By comparing to traditional security paradigm threats, this essay will argue that in order for states to combat transnational organised crime, they must consider and use traditional and non-traditional means. First, this essay will present the security paradigm of traditional security. In this section, this essay will discuss the points of, the focus traditional security has on the protection of the state and traditional security threats such as external military forces. Secondly, this essay will present the non-traditional security paradigm; discussing the people-centred approach of non-traditional security, and non-traditional security threats. Thirdly, this essay will focus on security challenges of transnational organised crime on Southeast Asian states, discussing the challenges human trafficking, drug trafficking, corruption and bribes, and illegal logging. At the end of each of the organised crime security challenges, this essay will discuss how these challenges differ from traditional security threats.