Democracy and Vigilantism: The Case of Michoacán, Mexico

The so-called self-defense forces in Mexico must be seen as a form of vigilantism generated by an incipient process of democratization that has not produced the institutional quality necessary to contain the activity of organized crime groups driven, essentially, by the high demand for drugs in the United States. Our qualitative analysis of Mexico’s Tierra Caliente (‘Hotlands’) revealed profound processes of institutional deterioration in politics and the economy that have created conditions ripe for vigilantism. In the absence of substantial improvements in the quality of Mexico’s democracy, especially at the levels of state and municipal government, the emergence of other forms of vigilantism and ongoing violence are foreseeable.

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A New State of Organized Crime

The Journal of Intelligence Conflict and Warfare ◽

10.21810/jicw.v3i1.2359 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 13

Author(s):

Davina Shanti

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Law Enforcement ◽

Organized Crime ◽

The United States ◽

Law Enforcement Agencies ◽

Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs ◽

Depth Analysis ◽

Organized Crime Groups ◽

Criminal Groups ◽

New Research

Organized crime is often associated with traditional criminal groups, such as the mafia or outlaw motorcycle gangs; however, new research suggests that cybercrime is emerging as a new branch of organized crime. This paper is focused on the changing nature of organized crime and the factors that influence this shift, particularly in the online space. It will address the question: Can the law identify cybercrime as organized crime? The results of this paper are informed by an in-depth analysis of peer-reviewed articles from Canada, the United States (US), and Europe. This paper concludes that cybercrime groups are structured and operate similarly to traditional organized crime groups and should, therefore, be classified as a part of traditional organized crime; however, cybercrime groups are capable of conducting illicit activities that surpass those typically associated with traditional organized crime. This shift suggests that these groups may represent a larger threat creating a new challenge for law enforcement agencies.

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Statement of Kumar C. Kibble, Deputy Director U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department of Homeland Security Regarding a Hearing on "Combating Organized Crime: Evaluating Current Authorities, Tools, and Resources" before the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary Subcommittee On Crime and Terrorism

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e741932011-001 ◽

2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Kumar C. Kibble

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Homeland Security ◽

Organized Crime ◽

The United States ◽

United States Senate ◽

Deputy Director ◽

Department Of Homeland Security ◽

Senate Committee ◽

Immigration And Customs Enforcement

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Mafias on the Move

10.23943/princeton/9780691128559.001.0001 ◽

2011 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Federico Varese

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

New York ◽

Organized Crime ◽

The United States ◽

The West ◽

Market Expansion ◽

The North ◽

Economic Transformations ◽

At Will

Organized crime is spreading like a global virus as mobs take advantage of open borders to establish local franchises at will. That at least is the fear, inspired by stories of Russian mobsters in New York, Chinese triads in London, and Italian mafias throughout the West. As this book explains, the truth is more complicated. The author has spent years researching mafia groups in Italy, Russia, the United States, and China, and argues that mafiosi often find themselves abroad against their will, rather than through a strategic plan to colonize new territories. Once there, they do not always succeed in establishing themselves. The book spells out the conditions that lead to their long-term success, namely sudden market expansion that is neither exploited by local rivals nor blocked by authorities. Ultimately the inability of the state to govern economic transformations gives mafias their opportunity. In a series of matched comparisons, the book charts the attempts of the Calabrese 'Ndrangheta to move to the north of Italy, and shows how the Sicilian mafia expanded to early twentieth-century New York, but failed around the same time to find a niche in Argentina. The book explains why the Russian mafia failed to penetrate Rome but succeeded in Hungary. A pioneering chapter on China examines the challenges that triads from Taiwan and Hong Kong find in branching out to the mainland. This book is both a compelling read and a sober assessment of the risks posed by globalization and immigration for the spread of mafias.

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