Plan Colombia

This chapter begins with the American and Colombian anti-drug officials that celebrated Pablo Escobar's “decapitation,” as proof that the kingpin strategy was on its way to eradicating cocaine trafficking in Colombia. It mentions that Medellín's drug bosses met to discuss in the neighborhood of Envigado after Escobar's death, from which emerged the so-called Envigado Office lead by Don Berna. It also describes Don Berna as a formidable Medellín drug trafficker and a former member of the Marxist Popular Liberation Army. The chapter refers to the Cali cartel, an association of four billionaires who managed a worldwide cocaine monopoly, controlling everything from production in Peru and Colombia to sales in the suburbs and cities in the United States and around the globe. It emphasizes how the “decapitations” of the Medellín and Cali cartel's atomized cocaine production and trafficking into smaller entities that were much harder to track and interdict, proving that the kingpin strategy was working.

Narrativas de vida de extrabajadores de José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, “El Mexicano”

En el presente artículo, se analizan las dinámicas laborales asociadas al poder estructurado por José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha “El Mexicano”, en el contexto del narcotráfico en Colombia, a partir de una metodología biográfico-narrativa dirigida a ocho extrabajadores de dicho narcotraficante, que refieren su vinculación con ese entorno como una oportunidad laboral que transformó su vida en diversos ámbitos, principalmente el social y el cultural. El texto está organizado en tres momentos que responden a un orden secuencial, de acuerdo con las narraciones de los extrabajadores, quienes dan cuenta de cómo en el imaginario colectivo de una parte de la población colombiana, como sucede en otros países latinoamericanos, el narcotraficante es visto como "un amigo de la comunidad, que sólo busca su bienestar", razón por la cual en un número significativo de casos justifican su actuar y proceder.Palabras clave: Narcotráfico, Narrativa, Sociedad, CulturaNarratives of life of former workers of José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, "El Mexicano"AbstractIn this article, the labor dynamics associated with the power structured by José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha "El Mexicano" are analyzed, in the context of drug trafficking in Colombia, from a biographical-narrative methodology addressed to eight former workers of said drug trafficker, who refer to their connection with that environment as a labor opportunity that transformed their lives in diverse environments, mainly the social and cultural ones. The text is organized in three moments that respond to a sequential order, according to the narratives of the ex-workers, who give an account of how in the collective imagination of a part of the Colombian population, as happens in other Latin American countries, the drug trafficker is seen as "a friend of the community, who only seeks its welfare", which is why in a significant number of cases they justify their actions and behavior.Keywords: Drug trafficking, Narrative, Society, Culture Récit de vie d’anciens travailleurs de José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, “El Mexicano”RésuméDans cet article, on analyse les dynamiques de travail associées au pouvoir structuré par José Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha, “El Mexicano”, dans le contexte du trafic de drogues en Colombie, à partir d’une méthodologie biographique-narrative dirigée à huit anciens travailleurs de ce trafiquant de drogue, ils réfèrent leur lien avec cet entourage comme une opportunité de travail qui a transformé leurs vies en plusieurs domaines, principalement le social et le culturel. Le texte est organisé en trois moments qui répondent à un ordre séquentiel selon les récits des anciens travailleurs qui témoignent comment dans l’imaginaire collectif d’une partie de la population colombienne, comme dans beaucoup de pays latino-américains, le trafiquant de drogue est considéré comme « un ami de la communauté qui cherche uniquement leur bien-être » , raison pour laquelle dans un grand nombre de cas les personnes justifient son comportement et sa façon d’agir.Mots clé : Trafic de drogue, Récit, Société, Culture

The River

In this chapter, the author attends a child’s pool party at the home of a famous Mohawk drug trafficker. Through her interviews with his wife as well as two other drug dealers, she learns about the dark side of the economy at Akwesasne, and compares it to the situation back in South Texas.

Explanations for High-IQ Crime

This chapter describes the qualitative analyses derived from the forty-four follow-up interviews. It relays the life history of “Faulkner,” a drug trafficker with a 162 IQ who claims to have killed fifteen people. The chapter also describes the analysis of qualitative materials in light of Travis Hirschi’s theory of social bonds, noting that the interviews were consistent with explanations of crime based upon weakened social bonds (including elements of attachment, commitment, involvement, and belief). The chapter asks whether high IQ is always a protective factor or whether, at some levels and under some circumstances, it might operate as a criminogenic risk factor.

El Chapo arrest will not improve Mexican security

Subject The recapture of the world's most-wanted drug trafficker. Significance On January 8, federal police detained fugitive drug trafficker Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman Loera, following his high-profile escape from the maximum-security Altiplano prison on July 11. Both his escape and his recapture have generated considerable media attention, and could have ramifications for organised crime, the government of President Enrique Pena Nieto and US-Mexican relations. Impacts Another escape, though possible, is extremely unlikely. El Chapo's extradition may not take place until after the end of Pena Nieto's term. Any popularity increase for Pena Nieto resulting from the recapture will be short lived. While the Sinaloa cartel is relatively cohesive, it may splinter in the medium-to-long term.