An Overview of the Effectiveness of U.S. Counternarcotics Efforts in Colombia, 2000–2020, and Rec... more An Overview of the Effectiveness of U.S. Counternarcotics Efforts in Colombia, 2000–2020, and Recommendations for the Future T his report examines the period in Colombia from 2000 to 2020 to assess the effectiveness of U.S. counternarcotics and security efforts, with the overarching goal of informing U.S. government decisionmaking and collaborative efforts.1 The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was tasked by Congress to review U.S. counternarcotics and security efforts in Colombia over the past two decades. GAO completed two reviews, once in 2008 and again in 2018. The former report noted that drug-reduction goals were not fully met, although the security situation had improved under U.S. assistance. However, GAO later noted that gains in the area of counternarcotics were limited, and it did not identify the longterm effectiveness of many U.S. efforts. In its 2018 report, GAO made two recommendations to the U.S. Department of State, the lead U.S. agency charged with imple...
This paper assesses Mexico’s organized crime alliance and subgroup network structures. Through so... more This paper assesses Mexico’s organized crime alliance and subgroup network structures. Through social network analysis (SNA) of data from Lantia Consultores, a consulting firm in Mexico that specializes in the analysis of public policies, it demonstrates differential alliance structures within Mexico’s bipolar illicit network system. The Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación’s (CJNG) alliance structure is top-down and hierarchical, while the Sinaloa Cartel is denser, particularly in the broader Tierra Caliente region. Additionally, our analysis found a sparse overall network with many isolates (organized criminal groups with no relations to other groups) and disconnected components. Further, we identified organized crime networks that might fill future power vacuums based on their network positions, following state or rival high-value targeting of major cartels. The implications of these findings are discussed, and policy recommendations are provided.
"By translating this unfortunate episode into significant changes in the way the current administ... more "By translating this unfortunate episode into significant changes in the way the current administration carries out its rule of law and security policies...the Mexican government can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat."
An Overview of the Effectiveness of U.S. Counternarcotics Efforts in Colombia, 2000–2020, and Rec... more An Overview of the Effectiveness of U.S. Counternarcotics Efforts in Colombia, 2000–2020, and Recommendations for the Future T his report examines the period in Colombia from 2000 to 2020 to assess the effectiveness of U.S. counternarcotics and security efforts, with the overarching goal of informing U.S. government decisionmaking and collaborative efforts.1 The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) was tasked by Congress to review U.S. counternarcotics and security efforts in Colombia over the past two decades. GAO completed two reviews, once in 2008 and again in 2018. The former report noted that drug-reduction goals were not fully met, although the security situation had improved under U.S. assistance. However, GAO later noted that gains in the area of counternarcotics were limited, and it did not identify the longterm effectiveness of many U.S. efforts. In its 2018 report, GAO made two recommendations to the U.S. Department of State, the lead U.S. agency charged with imple...
This paper assesses Mexico’s organized crime alliance and subgroup network structures. Through so... more This paper assesses Mexico’s organized crime alliance and subgroup network structures. Through social network analysis (SNA) of data from Lantia Consultores, a consulting firm in Mexico that specializes in the analysis of public policies, it demonstrates differential alliance structures within Mexico’s bipolar illicit network system. The Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación’s (CJNG) alliance structure is top-down and hierarchical, while the Sinaloa Cartel is denser, particularly in the broader Tierra Caliente region. Additionally, our analysis found a sparse overall network with many isolates (organized criminal groups with no relations to other groups) and disconnected components. Further, we identified organized crime networks that might fill future power vacuums based on their network positions, following state or rival high-value targeting of major cartels. The implications of these findings are discussed, and policy recommendations are provided.
"By translating this unfortunate episode into significant changes in the way the current administ... more "By translating this unfortunate episode into significant changes in the way the current administration carries out its rule of law and security policies...the Mexican government can snatch victory from the jaws of defeat."
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Papers by Irina Chindea