Organized Crime Publications
U.S. Ambassadors to Mexico: The Relationship Through Their Eyes
Feb 26, 2013What emerges in this publication is a nuanced portrait of the individuals who have been tasked with serving as the key link of the U.S. government with Mexico. Dolia Estévez's effort to bring their memories and their perspectives to light helps illuminate a little known part of the political relationship between the two countries. It also chronicles a changing relationship between these countries from "distant neighbors" to "intimate strangers," who are deeply dependent on one another and yet are only still getting to know one another well enough to manage the relationship. more
Criminal Procedure Reform in Mexico: Where Things Stand Now
Feb 15, 2013This paper gives an overview of Mexico’s judicial reform process and where things stand now that the Peña Nieto government has assumed the presidency from Felipe Calderón. A key challenge in tracking the reform continues to be the unavailability of systematic data on institutional changes; Ingram’s paper highlights the weakness in data availability but his measures of reform progress also contribute to ameliorating this weakness. more
Crime and Violence in Mexico and Central America: An Evolving But Incomplete US Policy Response
Jan 01, 2013In this report, we first survey the causes for the rise of violent crime in Mexico, and the Northern Triangle of Central America. We then look at the US policy response to date. We conclude by offering a few suggestions on how the US policy response could be significantly improved in the short and medium term to respond better to the underlying challenges that the countries of the region are facing, problems in which our own country is deeply implicated. more
In the Lurch Between Government and Chaos: Unconsolidated Democracy in Mexico
Jan 01, 2013To move forward, reforms must be ambitious. Simply reforming one institution in a sea of lawlessness leads nowhere; there must be a wide-ranging transformation of the political regime. Mexico's challenge is therefore to build modern, competent democratic institutions that are capable of engaging in good governance - only then will they be able to expand economic opportunity and restore economic growth. more
Paying For Crime: A Review of the Relationships Between Insecurity and Development in Mexico and Central America
Dec 01, 2012Given the consequences that insecurity and crime have for Mexico and Central America, the governments of the region must work to devise and implement policies that address the links between crime rates and development, citizens' lack of trust in institutions, and the high economic toll of insecurity overall. more
A New Agenda with Mexico
Nov 26, 2012The depth of economic ties with Mexico, together with declines in illegal immigration and organized crime violence in Mexico, open up an opportunity for U.S. policymakers to deepen the economic relationship with Mexico and to engage Mexico more on major global issues. more
Transnational Crime in Mexico and Central America: Its Evolution and Role in International Migraiton
Nov 01, 2012The growth of organized crime in Mexico and Central America has led to an increase in violence and insecurity across the region, posing challenges to citizens, public security forces, and travelers. Migrants crossing the region are especially vulnerable. more
Border Insecurity in Central America's Northern Triangle
Nov 01, 2012The recent surge in drug trafficking and violent crime in Central America has drawn a spotlight to the perennial problem of lawlessness along the borders of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. Throughout their histories, governments in these countries have neglected their peripheries. more
New Approaches to Migration Management in Mexico and Central America
Oct 01, 2012Until recently, the outflow of Mexicans to the United States dominated the attention of Mexican politicians, policymakers, and migration researchers, but public attention has shifted in recent years to the phenomenon of transit migration. Over the past two decades, Mexico has increasingly become a destination for Central American migrants seeking to enter the United States; many remain in Mexico for extended periods and, in some cases, settle permanently. more
Drug Trafficking and Organized Crime in the Americas: Major Trends in the Twenty-First Century
Aug 01, 2012In this new publication, Bruce Bagley examines adaptations and trends in the illicit drug economy over the last several decades. more
