CRIMJUST Media Highlights N.34
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Crime and Punishment in Central America
CHAPTER 6 Crime and Punishment in Central America ANA LARIAU, DMITRY PLOTNIKOV, AND JOYCE WONG INTRODUCTION Persistent crime in Central America, including the Dominican Republic (CAPDR), presents one of the biggest challenges to economic development and surpasses unemployment as the most important issue in most countries in the region (Figure 6.1). The Northern Triangle countries—Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala—account for 4½ percent of world homicides outside of war, but only ½ percent of the world’s population. Aside from human and social costs, crime also distorts economic incentives. Northern Triangle and Dominican firms consis- tently cite crime and theft as among the five biggest problems for doing business (World Economic Forum 2017). The World Bank (2011) puts losses associated with crime in the Northern Triangle at about 10 percent of annual GDP. Crime tends to disproportionately impact poorer individuals who are unable to protect themselves, and so exacerbates inequality (Davoodi and others 2002). Crime and economics are intrinsically linked. Theoretically, crime has direct and indirect costs. Direct costs include the share of output (goods and services) and resources (labor productivity of both victims and criminals) lost due to theft, rob- bery, murder, and other crimes, and the resources spent on security costs—public and private—that otherwise could have been used on productive activity. Indirect costs are potentially much larger. They include lower economic activity as individ- uals internalize the direct costs of crime. Examples include fewer employment opportunities, higher outward migration, the erosion of institutions, and corrup- tion. All these outcomes, in turn, exacerbate crime and generate a vicious cycle. -
Organized Crime and Terrorist Activity in Mexico, 1999-2002
ORGANIZED CRIME AND TERRORIST ACTIVITY IN MEXICO, 1999-2002 A Report Prepared by the Federal Research Division, Library of Congress under an Interagency Agreement with the United States Government February 2003 Researcher: Ramón J. Miró Project Manager: Glenn E. Curtis Federal Research Division Library of Congress Washington, D.C. 20540−4840 Tel: 202−707−3900 Fax: 202−707−3920 E-Mail: [email protected] Homepage: http://loc.gov/rr/frd/ Library of Congress – Federal Research Division Criminal and Terrorist Activity in Mexico PREFACE This study is based on open source research into the scope of organized crime and terrorist activity in the Republic of Mexico during the period 1999 to 2002, and the extent of cooperation and possible overlap between criminal and terrorist activity in that country. The analyst examined those organized crime syndicates that direct their criminal activities at the United States, namely Mexican narcotics trafficking and human smuggling networks, as well as a range of smaller organizations that specialize in trans-border crime. The presence in Mexico of transnational criminal organizations, such as Russian and Asian organized crime, was also examined. In order to assess the extent of terrorist activity in Mexico, several of the country’s domestic guerrilla groups, as well as foreign terrorist organizations believed to have a presence in Mexico, are described. The report extensively cites from Spanish-language print media sources that contain coverage of criminal and terrorist organizations and their activities in Mexico. -
Trafficking of Haitians on the Island of Hispaniola After the 2010 Earthuquake
TRAFFICKING OF HAITIANS ON THE ISLAND OF HISPANIOLA AFTER THE 2010 EARTHUQUAKE © 2019 By Caroline Bass A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for completion Of the Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies Croft Institute for International Studies Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College The University of Mississippi University, Mississippi May 2019 Approved: __________________________________ Advisor: Dr. Katherine Centellas __________________________________ Reader: Dr. William Schenck __________________________________ Reader: Dr. Oliver Dinius Dedicated to Terry Lynn King and all of my other friends out on Unit 2 ii Abstract On January 12th, 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the nation of Haiti. The people of Haiti suffered many losses of life, homes, and livelihood. Later that year, as a result of the earthquake, a cholera outbreak occurred in Haiti taking the lives of thousands more. This study attempts to determine if Haitians were at a higher risk of being trafficked and if human trafficking increased on the island after the earthquake. I analyze how human trafficking in Haiti and the Dominican Republic was impacted as a result of the earthquake and the consequent reaction of the Dominican Republic in both policies and public attitude towards Haitians. Using past studies on factors that affect levels of trafficking I form the theoretical framework for my argument. The factors from the literature on trafficking that pertain to the case of Haiti and the Dominican Republic are economic levels, discrimination, and immigration policies. I measure and analyze these three factors in order to determine if Haitians were more vulnerable to trafficking and if trafficking increased after the 2010 earthquake. -
ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME in the AMAZON BASIN: a Typology for Research, Policy and Action
IGARAPÉ INSTITUTE a think and do tank SP 47 STRATEGIC PAPER 47 PAPER STRATEGIC 2020 AUGUST ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME IN THE AMAZON BASIN: A Typology for Research, Policy and Action Adriana Abdenur, Brodie Ferguson, Ilona Szabo de Carvalho, Melina Risso and Robert Muggah IGARAPÉ INSTITUTE | STRATEGIC PAPER 47 | AUGUST 2020 Index Abstract ���������������������������������������������������������� 1 Introduction ������������������������������������������������������ 2 Threats to the Amazon Basin ���������������������������� 3 Typology of environmental crime ����������������������� 9 Conclusions ���������������������������������������������������� 16 References ����������������������������������������������������� 17 Annex 1: Dimensions of Illegality ��������������������� 17 Cover photo: Wilson Dias/Agência Brasil IGARAPÉ INSTITUTE | STRATEGIC PAPER 47 | AUGUST 2020 ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME IN THE AMAZON BASIN: A Typology for Research, Policy and Action Igarape Institute1 Abstract There is considerable conceptual and practical ambiguity around the dimensions and drivers of environmental crime in the Amazon Basin� Some issues, such as deforestation, have featured prominently in the news media as well as in academic and policy research� Yet, the literature is less developed in relation to other environmental crimes such as land invasion, small-scale clearance for agriculture and ranching, illegal mining, illegal wildlife trafficking, and the construction of informal roads and infrastructure that support these and other unlawful activities� Drawing on -
Exploring the Relationship Between Militarization in the United States
Exploring the Relationship Between Militarization in the United States and Crime Syndicates in Mexico: A Look at the Legislative Impact on the Pace of Cartel Militarization by Tracy Lynn Maish A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Criminology and Criminal Justice) in the University of Michigan-Dearborn 2021 Master Thesis Committee: Assistant Professor Maya P. Barak, Chair Associate Professor Kevin E. Early Associate Professor Donald E. Shelton Tracy Maish [email protected] ORCID iD: 0000-0001-8834-4323 © Tracy L. Maish 2021 Acknowledgments The author would like to acknowledge the assistance of their committee and the impact that their guidance had on the process. Without the valuable feedback and enormous patience, this project would not the where it is today. Thank you to Dr. Maya Barak, Dr. Kevin Early, and Dr. Donald Shelton. Your academic mentorship will not be forgotten. ii Table of Contents 1. Acknowledgments ii 2. List of Tables iv 3. List of Figures v 4. Abstract vi 5. Chapter 1 Introduction 1 6. Chapter 2 The Militarization of Law Enforcement Within the United States 8 7. Chapter 3 Cartel Militarization 54 8. Chapter 4 The Look into a Mindset 73 9. Chapter 5 Research Findings 93 10. Chapter 6 Conclusion 108 11. References 112 iii List of Tables Table 1 .......................................................................................................................................... 80 Table 2 ......................................................................................................................................... -
Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests
Home Country of Origin Information Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests Responses to Information Requests (RIR) are research reports on country conditions. They are requested by IRB decision makers. The database contains a seven-year archive of English and French RIR. Earlier RIR may be found on the European Country of Origin Information Network website. Please note that some RIR have attachments which are not electronically accessible here. To obtain a copy of an attachment, please e-mail us. Related Links • Advanced search help 15 August 2019 MEX106302.E Mexico: Drug cartels, including Los Zetas, the Gulf Cartel (Cartel del Golfo), La Familia Michoacana, and the Beltrán Leyva Organization (BLO); activities and areas of operation; ability to track individuals within Mexico (2017-August 2019) Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada 1. Overview InSight Crime, a foundation that studies organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean (Insight Crime n.d.), indicates that Mexico’s larger drug cartels have become fragmented or "splintered" and have been replaced by "smaller, more volatile criminal groups that have taken up other violent activities" (InSight Crime 16 Jan. 2019). According to sources, Mexican law enforcement efforts to remove the leadership of criminal organizations has led to the emergence of new "smaller and often more violent" (BBC 27 Mar. 2018) criminal groups (Justice in Mexico 19 Mar. 2018, 25; BBC 27 Mar. 2018) or "fractur[ing]" and "significant instability" among the organizations (US 3 July 2018, 2). InSight Crime explains that these groups do not have "clear power structures," that alliances can change "quickly," and that they are difficult to track (InSight Crime 16 Jan. -
Than Neighbors New Developments in the Institutional Strengthening of Mexico’S Armed Forces in the Context of U.S.-Mexican Military Cooperation
More than Neighbors New Developments in the Institutional Strengthening of Mexico’s Armed Forces in the Context of U.S.-Mexican Military Cooperation By Iñigo Guevara February 2018 More than Neighbors New Developments in the Institutional strengthening of Mexico’s armed forces in the context of US-Mexican Military Cooperation By Iñigo Guevara “With Mexico, very, very strong, quiet military-to-military relations” … … “This is a relationship that has been many decades in the making. Just go back - just for an example - go back to World War II. It doesn't start with us. It will not end with us.” -U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis1 Strategic Reasoning for Closer U.S. –Mexico Military Ties Despite the deep cultural and economic diversity of North America’s 486+ million inhabitants, the interconnectedness of the three countries means that they all face, to various degrees, the same threats, which range from serious to existential. Existential threats have long been narrowed to a nuclear war with Russia, to a much lesser degree China, and the now aspiring North Korea. The lack of an existential threat from the south has meant that Mexico was not a priority for the U.S. defense community. Mexico’s non-interventionist interior-looking foreign policy, the lack of an external threat, and an extremely complex politico-military relationship also meant that the defense relationship with the United States was cordial, but distant over several decades. Since the 1980’s, the Mexican Navy and Air Force did source their token conventional fighting capacity from the United States: a squadron of tactical jet fighters and a flotilla of second-hand destroyers and frigates; however, this was mainly out of convenience rather than a strategic decision to develop binational defense ties. -
“Control...Over the Entire State of Coahuila” an Analysis of Testimonies in Trials Against Zeta Members in San Antonio, Austin, and Del Rio, Texas
“Control...Over the Entire State of Coahuila” An analysis of testimonies in trials against Zeta members in San Antonio, Austin, and Del Rio, Texas NOVEMBER 2017 This report does not represent the official position of the School of Law or the University of Texas, and the views presented here reflect only the opinions of the individual authors and of the Human Rights Clinic 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................ 3 2. INTRODUCTION .................................................................. 5 A. Project Description And Purpose ............................................... 5 B. The Trials ................................................................... 6 I. The San Antonio Trial..................................................... 6 II. The Austin Trials ......................................................... 7 III. The Del Rio Trial ......................................................... 9 C. Background Information ...................................................... 9 I. Mexico’s Security Strategy ................................................. 9 II. Coahuila, Mexico ......................................................... 10 III. Brief History of the Zeta Cartel ............................................. 11 3. FINDINGS ON THE ZETA CARTEL STRUCTURE AND OPERATIONS ......................... 13 A. Hierarchy and Organization. .................................................. 13 B. Most Important Zeta Members Based on Testimonies ............................. -
How the Zetas Took Monterrey
www.InSightCrime.org 1 Table of Contents Abstract: ................................................................................................................................. 3 Part I - How the Zetas Took Monterrey ......................................................................... 4 From Safe Haven to Beachhead ................................................................................................. 5 Take the “Plaza,” Win the War ................................................................................................... 6 Part II - The Zetas and Monterrey Math ........................................................................ 9 How Many Are There? .................................................................................................................. 9 Monterrey’s Illegal Market Value .......................................................................................... 11 Part III - The Battle for Monterrey ................................................................................ 16 A War with Many Parts ............................................................................................................. 17 The Fight for the Prisons .......................................................................................................... 19 www.InSightCrime.org 2 Abstract: The Zetas’ top leader is dead and the group is seemingly splitting into pieces, but they remain Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto’s biggest security challenge. In this context, InSight Crime’s Steven -
Mexico's Government Begins To
JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RICE UNIVERSITY MEXICO’S GOVERNMENT BEGINS TO RETAKE NORTHEASTERN MEXICO BY GARY J. HALE NONRESIDENT FELLOW IN DRUG POLICY JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY RICE UNIVERSITY DECEMBER 9, 2011 Mexico’s Government Begins to Retake Northeastern Mexico THESE PAPERS WERE WRITTEN BY A RESEARCHER (OR RESEARCHERS) WHO PARTICIPATED IN A BAKER INSTITUTE RESEARCH PROJECT. WHEREVER FEASIBLE, THESE PAPERS ARE REVIEWED BY OUTSIDE EXPERTS BEFORE THEY ARE RELEASED. HOWEVER, THE RESEARCH AND VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THESE PAPERS ARE THOSE OF THE INDIVIDUAL RESEARCHER(S), AND DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THE VIEWS OF THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY. © 2011 BY THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY OF RICE UNIVERSITY THIS MATERIAL MAY BE QUOTED OR REPRODUCED WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION, PROVIDED APPROPRIATE CREDIT IS GIVEN TO THE AUTHOR AND THE JAMES A. BAKER III INSTITUTE FOR PUBLIC POLICY. 2 Mexico’s Government Begins to Retake Northeastern Mexico I. All Enemies Are Equal It is increasingly apparent that the government of Mexico is not playing favorites anywhere in the country, and is attacking any drug cartel it encounters or that government forces have sufficient intelligence to combat. While this has had a significant and disruptive effect on the drug trafficking environment, government pressure on cartels has also affected drug trafficking organizations (DTO),1 causing the latter to savagely kill each other as they desperately attempt to maintain control of geographic turf. Government attacks on the infrastructure of the Gulf cartel and the Zetas (a DTO once part of the Gulf cartel) in recent years are concrete examples of Mexico’s efforts to retake Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, and Veracruz from the hands of the traffickers, regardless of which cartel is wreaking havoc in those northeastern states. -
Canada, Mexico, and Central America
CANADA, MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA V-1 INCSR 2002 V-2 Canada, Mexico and Central America Belize I. Summary The Government of Belize (GOB) recognizes that the transit of drugs is a serious concern and works closely with the United States on narcotics control and international crime issues. In 1999 Belize was removed from the list of major drug-transit countries, but it remains a country of concern to the United States. In 2001 several large shipments of cocaine were seized in Belize territorial waters and mainland Belize. Belize is a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention. II. Status of Country Belize has a population of approximately 250,000 and a landmass of 8,866 square miles with borders contiguous with Guatemala and Mexico. The topography consists of large tracts of unpopulated jungles and forested areas, a lengthy unprotected coastline, hundreds of small caves, and numerous navigable inland waterways. These factors, combined with Belize’s rudimentary infrastructure, make Belize a natural transshipment point for illicit drugs. On January 15, 2002, Belize formally ended its economic citizenship program. This program had raised serious concerns in the past, because it allowed some international criminals and fugitives from justice to receive Belize citizenship. III. Country Actions Against Drugs in 2001 Policy Initiatives. In November the Commissioner of Police proposed that the Anti-Drug Unit be increased from 12 members to 23 members. Since its inception in 2000, the United States has provided assistance to this vetted unit, and the U.S. Department of Justice and the DEA vetted the initial members of the unit. -
U.S. and Mexican Counterdrug Efforts Since Certification
S. HRG. 105±??? U.S. AND MEXICAN COUNTERDRUG EFFORTS SINCE CERTIFICATION JOINT HEARING BEFORE THE SENATE CAUCUS ON INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL AND THE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS UNITED STATES SENATE ONE HUNDRED FIFTH CONGRESS FIRST SESSION OCTOBER 29, 1997 Printed for the use of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations ( U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 44±791 CC WASHINGTON : 1998 SENATE CAUCUS ON INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL CHARLES GRASSLEY, Iowa, Chairman ALFONSE D'AMATO, New York JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., Delaware FRANK MURKOWSKI, Alaska BOB GRAHAM, Florida JEFFREY SESSIONS, Alabama DIANE FEINSTEIN, California COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS JESSE HELMS, North Carolina, Chairman RICHARD G. LUGAR, Indiana JOSEPH R. BIDEN, JR., Delaware PAUL COVERDELL, Georgia PAUL S. SARBANES, Maryland CHUCK HAGEL, Nebraska CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut GORDON H. SMITH, Oregon JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts CRAIG THOMAS, Wyoming CHARLES S. ROBB, Virginia ROD GRAMS, Minnesota RUSSELL D. FEINGOLD, Wisconsin JOHN ASHCROFT, Missouri DIANNE FEINSTEIN, California BILL FRIST, Tennessee PAUL D. WELLSTONE, Minnesota SAM BROWNBACK, Kansas JAMES W. NANCE, Staff Director EDWIN K. HALL, Minority Staff Director (II) CONTENTS Page Banks, Samuel H., Acting Commissioner, U.S. Customs Service, Department of Treasury ............................................................................................................ 53 Prepared statement .........................................................................................