D a decreased area of wilderness used to produce drugs. At least half of residents in brazil, costa rica, argentina, chile, panama, venezuela, and uruguay say illicit drug trafficking or drug. Counterdrug programs congressional research service summary drug trafficking is viewed as a primary threat to citizen security and u. Latin america drug trafficking to the us and why making. Just five countriespuerto rico, guyana, the bahamas, colombia, and chilewere found to comply with the trafficking victims protection act tvpa, which was first put in place by the united states in 2000. He has authored and coauthored several books, including private environmental regimes in developing countries, latin america in the new international system, combating corruption in latin america, andsecurity in the caribbean basin. Latin america is also a primary source region for people trafficked to the.
Mexico, central america and the caribbean the situation. The page remains at this address as an archival and research resource. We have to find new solutions to latin americas drugs nightmare. To battle drugtraffickers, argentina takes a risk and. Boston george working w pablo escobar, prison visit from johnny depp, and more. Tackling the threat of narco trafficking in the americas is a shared responsibility. The shifting terrain of latin american drug trafficking. Drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence in the. The unodc reports that nearly all of the worlds illicit opium and heroin production is concentrated in afghanistan, southeast asia mostly myanmar and latin america mexico and colombia.
The production and trafficking of opiates have caused crime, disease, and social distress throughout the world, leading many nations to invest billions of dollars trying to suppress the industry. Jenner abstract forty years ago, the world declared war on drugs. For their part, international idea and nimd have sought to combine the security. Mauricio macri steps up fight against argentina drug. This book describes the main patterns and trends of drug trafficking in latin america and analyzes its political, economic and social effects on several countries over the last twenty years. Like all successful businesses, organizations for narcoproduction and narcodistribution have responded rapidly and extensively to changing tastes and strong market demands in the consumer countries especially the. The first thing dr shemenauer did was define some key terms and concepts relating to the topic, such as mulas and trafficking corridors. Its aim is to provide readers an introductory yet elaborate text on the illegal drug problem in the region. Shows growing locations and trafficking routes of coca, marijuana, and opium. Departure locations of identified drug trafficking shipments by sea from south america to europe, 20062008. Gallup surveys suggest illicit drug trafficking is common in communities throughout much of latin america, including in some of the most welldeveloped countries such as chile and costa rica. The impact of the drug trade on us foreign policy toward latin american countries.
Drug trafficking is a result of a simple economic principal, supply and demand. Of this, close to half goes through central america. The coca cultivation is concentrated in the andes of south america, particularly in colombia, peru and bolivia. To combat high levels of organized crime, cartel activity, violence, and institutional corruption, central american countries must develop coordinated efforts and joint security measures, with a. Mike king, birmingham city university, uk in order to demonstrate that the politics of the european union and the united states towards the flow of cocaine coming from latin america differ considerably, fukumi first explains the security problems posed by drug trafficking then, thanks to an indepth study of plan colombia, discusses the. Government estimates that 90 percent of the illicit drugs entering its borders passes through the central american isthmus and mexico. From opium to marijuana to cocaine, a variety of substances have been illegally imported, sold and distributed throughout u. Fourteen of the 20 most violent countries in the world are in latin america and the caribbean. Traffickers use a variety of means to capture and coerce their victims. This study examines the direct and spillover effects of mexican.
There is evidence, however, of mounting resistance to the global drug control regime. Ralph espach is an analyst and director of the latin american affairs program at cnas center for strategic studies, in alexandria, virginia. We have to find new solutions to latin americas drugs. A global problem with a domestic solution matthew s. I had to coordinate operations with several united states and latin american agencies dealing with the fight against drug. The ecotraffickers themselves do not catch the attentions of the latin american authorities, which remain focused on the movements of narcotics rather than timber and wildlife. Ellie shemenauer spoke to our class on october 17th regarding the major issue of women and drug trafficking in latin america and the caribbean. Drug trafficking, organized crime, and violence in the americas today. There is never a simple solution to a social issue. The impact of the drug trade on us foreign policy toward latin american for many years the united states has been fighting a battle against the trafficking, production, and importation of illegal drugs. The results can be extrapolated into the political, economic and social environment of central america in order to project the consequences of drug trafficking in the next 10 years. Nicolas horns international studies 2262003 drug trafficking in the vast network of the drug trade, drug trafficking is. Illegal drugs, drug trafficking and violence in latin america. The threat of narcotrafficking in the americas 3 executive summary the americas are vulnerable to crime problems due to socioeconomic conditions such as income inequality, historic issues particularly civil conflict and authoritarian government, and the drug trade.
Drug trafficking through central america is more threatening than ever before. Creating the latin american narcosystem the late 19th century to 1945 the beginnings of largescale narcotrafficking in latin america came with the production of coca and cocabased goods in peru and the movement of opium and marijuana from mexico into the united states. Argentina, brazil, peru, chile, spain and the united states. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through the use of drug prohibition laws the united nations office on drugs and crimes world drug report 2005 estimates the size. Drug trafficking in peru deas latin takedown boosted by dubious figures foreign pilots hired to boost u. This paper explores the history of the drug trade between latin american and the united states, the failure of both local and united states policy to address drug production and trafficking operations, and the detriment to the natural environment of latin america as a result. Trafficking in persons in latin america and the caribbean. The fight against drug trafficking and crime in the. Drug trafficking in the united states dates back to the 19th century. Through these networks, illicit drugs and trafficked human beings flow towards the developed.
To battle drugtraffickers, argentina takes a risk and uses military growing imports and exports of cocaine have increased violence and drug abuse. Illicit networks and politics in latin america international idea. Human trafficking occurs throughout latin america, but six countries seem prominent. Available also through the library of congress web site as a raster image. It was relatively easier to transport drugs via submarines into mexican ports or by central america and then let the mexican organizations take charge of transporting the drugs to the border with the us. This is the second in a twopart series on eco trafficking in latin ame rica. The illegal drug trade in latin america concerns primarily the production and sale of cocaine and cannabis, including the export of these banned substances to the united states and europe.
This would solve the crime problem associated with the trafficking and dealing of drugs. Major and growing illicit trafficking networks link latin america to europe, asia, and north america. Drug trafficking united states sentencing commission. In regard to drug cartels in latin america, the human cost is too high to be overlooked by the major consumers in america and europe. Latin america has emerged and remained crucial for drug production and trafficking.
The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of drugs that are subject to drug prohibition laws. The evolution of drug trafficking and organized crime in latin america. While the andean countries including colombia, peru and bolivia remained the worlds major cocaine producers, mexico and the caribbean maintained routes for the transportation of illicit. This section covers antigua and barbuda, the bahamas, grenada, jamaica, and the republic of trinidad and tobago. When there is a global problem, it needs a global solution, said juan manuel santos, colombias president.
In areas of latin america where drug production and trafficking are high, it is common to find a an increase in damage to sensitive ecosystems. In the past five years, the amount of cocaine transiting this vulnerable coastline has grown at an exponential rate. Their activities contribute to the challenges of violence, corruption, and poverty, which are among the primary drivers of illegal migration. The colombians decided to take a different approach by using mexican mafias in order to transport their products to the u. When it came to choosing a topic for my masters assignment i decided to combine these two interests together, particularly as latin america is quite an. Worthy news the rise of drug trafficking in latin america has been neglected for so long, that its creating an epic humanitarian crisis on the border, creating a direct threat to national security, and threatens to destabilize the entire region, a congressman said on tuesday. Foreign direct investment in latin america and the. Latin american narcotics connection, maritime trafficking. West africa is under attack from latin american drug traffickers cashing in on a strong euro and increasing demand for cocaine in europe. Latin america american terrorism issues and possible convergence with drug cartels in central and south america terrorism in latin america columbia the leftist national liberation army eln united selfdefense forces of colombia auc the leftist revolutionary armed forces of colombia farc cuba venezuela mexico iranian activity and sponsorship focus tri boarder area of argentina, brazil. The production, trafficking, and distribution of drugs to consumers have moved geographically many times across latin america. Of these, the drug trade is the most amenable to collective action. Application and impact of section 851 enhancements.
July 2018 this publication examines the application and impact of the statutory penalty enhancement for federal. Drug trafficking is not the only criminal business that requires a. Trafficking networks and the mexican drug war by melissa dell drug traderelated violence has escalated dramatically in mexico since 2007, and recent years have also witnessed largescale efforts to combat trafficking, spearheaded by mexicos conservative pan party. Transportistas, mexican cartels and maras steven s dudley introduction the u. Drug war the drug dealers next door latin american poppy fields undermine u. Many see drug trafficking widespread, rising in latin america. The current legislation on trafficking in persons in antigua and barbuda, the bahamas, grenada, jamaica, and in the. Women and drug trafficking in latin america americalatina. Two decades of cooperation between europe and latin america to combat drugs and drug trafficking have had a limited impact in terms of reducing drug consumption and. Drug production, consumption, and trafficking in latin. Many of these countries are transit countries for cocaine bound for the main consumer markets in north america and europe. Major trends in the twentyfirst century, woodrow wilson center update on the americas, washington, dc.
The report found that latin america is a primary region to source, transit and house human trafficking and sex trafficking victims. In areas of latin america where drug production and. For the north american market, cocaine is typically transported from colombia to mexico or central america by sea and then onwards by land to the united states and. Please note that as of july 2015, this page is no longer being actively updated or maintained. Today, after decades of failing to adequately control drug consumption, an even graver problem. Most of these drugs come from the countries of central and south america, where it is not illegal. In addition, the editors and contributors identify emerging issues and propose several policy options to address them. If the page is updated in the future, this notice will be removed. Other countries in the region such as haiti and jamaica7 are highly affected by human trafficking and used as trafficking hubs for south american drugs bound for europe and the united states. The impact of organized crime on democratic governance.
This essay identifies eight key trends or patterns that typify the ongoing transforma tion of the drug trade and the organized criminal groups it has. Drug battle multination drug sweep nets 2,331 arrests. Initiatives against drug cartels in latin america the. It is a good time to be an ecotrafficker in latin american. Geographically, latin america is marked as the drughub of the world. Together, they present a comprehensive overview of the major trends in drug trafficking and organized crime in the early twentyfirst century. Drug trafficking in latin america leads to humanitarian crisis. Mauricio macri steps up fight against argentina drug traffickers.
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