Organi zati onal

& i nsti tuti onal

patterns i n
Mexi can
Mafi as
CARTELS, GANGS, NEAR-
GROUPS AND MOBS
XVII Worl d
Congress of
Cri mi nology
Monterrey
2014
JAMES CREECHAN, PH.D.
SS 17 ORGANIZED CRIME
HTTP: //WWW. SCRI BD. COM/DOC/225856710/CARTELS- GANGS- NEAR- GROUPS-
AND- MOBS- THE- DI FFERENT- ORGANI ZATI ONAL- STRUCTURES- OF- CRI ME-
ORGANI ZATI ONS- I N- MEXI CO
Little Evidence of
Analytical
Frameworks in
developing a
strategy to
manage and
control
Little
Consensus
in Academic
Conceptualization
CARTEL
DTO
TNCO
VCDO
NARRATIVES GREAT DIVIDES
Traditional Criminology
USA, Canada, Europe
Mexico Academia
Journalism
Government
RECENT BOOKS ON NARCO
Narrow literature Mexican criminal organizations
Primarily journalistic (Spanish) & few academic investigations
Limited & narrow comparative frameworks
Personality, Power & Motivational Narratives
Especi al l y true of capos, jefes, and vi ol ent operati ves
Narrow analytical framework used for all cartels, &
even gangs and mobs
overlook important structural differences & criminal
diversification within & between cartels, gangs and mobs.
Unmerited cartel status for some gangs and mobs
Overlook transnational and macro-patterns of drug trafficking
Cartel-State nexus viewed asymmetrically
cartel directed violence (plato plomo narrative)
ACADEMIC NARRATIVES - NARROW
Overemphasi
s of Cri mi nal
moti vati on i n
expl aining
narcotraf fic
Too Li ttl e
structural
anal ysi s
Abuse and
misuse of
cartel concept
and narrati ve
OVERVIEW OF
ARGUMENT
Individual
criminal
mob
Near-group
Gang
Organized
criminal
activity
Symbolic reconstruction
of crime into organized
cartels has contributed
little to understanding of
crime and violence in
Mexico.
( Lui s Ast or ga)
With notable
exceptionsconcept
cartel means little
more than cri me on a bi g
scal eshort hand for a
lot of crime or crime on
a large and violent
scale.
DTO, TNCO, VCDO add cl ar i t y, but
i mper f ect .
CARTEL?
An Under
Formalized
Conception of
Structures and
Institutions
An
Oversocialized
Conception of
Crime Bosses
CARTEL
DTO
TNCO
VCDO
THE CENTRAL CONCEPTUAL FAILING
Muddled & unclear
conception of Mexican
Crime Organizations
Formally
Rational
State in
Global
Economy
REFORMULATION- RECONCEPTUALI ZATI ON BY
BORROWI NG FROM THEORETI CAL CRI MI NOLOGY
Mexicos Crime & Violence)
Problem
Data
Pattern
Gang &
Mafia
Theory
Muddled & unclear
conception of Mexican
Crime Organizations
BRIEF
Consi deration

OVEREMPHASIS ON
ACTOR MOTIVATION
& INDIVIDUAL AGENCY
Psychological narratives are common and popular
J. Edgar Hoover & Oprah effect
Basicframework of academic etiological theories
remains rooted in criminal motivation and individual
agency
Media Effectpersonal biographies of capo bosses
helps book sales and makes headlines Ioan Grillo,
Malcolm Beith
Spanish language accounts in same trap criminal
gangs charismatic leaders, modern caciques, or
rogue invaders
Anabel Hernandez however, Los Seores not el Seor
Guillermo Valdes Castellano the uncanny power of el Chapo
War on drugs take-down of capos
OVER-EMPHASIS ON PERSONALITY
Potenti al
Frameworks
- At l east 4
narratives
can be
applied
Mexico
Application?

LESSONS FROM
CRIMINOLOGY?
The Crime (Violence)
Problem
Formally
Rational
State
Data
Pattern
Gang &
Mafia
Theory
Part 1
individual
mob
Near
group
Gang
Organized
criminal
activity
CRIME GROUPS TRADITIONAL
THEORIES OF GANGS
SECURITY RECONCEPTUALIZATION
HOMELAND SECURITY INFLUENCE
individual
mob
Near-group
Gang
Organized
criminal
activity
Source is Bunker
Are Mexican Crime Organizations mafias?
Mexican and Colombian drug organizations were
labeled proto-cartels by Jean-Franois Gayraud
based on 8 criteria to classify cartels
Rooted in sociological and political theory primarily Webers
theory of organizations.
Gayraud applies his knowledge of transnational crime
organizations.
Table derived from Gayraud, Jean-Franois. 2007.
El G 9 de las Mafias en el Mundo: Geopoltica del
Crimen Organizado. Translated by E. R. Garca.
Barcelona: Tendencias. (pp. 267340 Que es
un mafia?
INTERNATIONAL CRIMINOLOGY
TRUE MAFIAS?
POLITICOS/INFLU
ENTIAL
BUSINESSMEN/H
OLDING
COMPANY
FINANCIER
OS
CAPO
S/JEF
ES
FINANCIER
OS
LAVADER
OS
JEFE DE
SEGURID
AD
OPERADO
RES
LOS DRS.
TRAVEL
LUGARTENIE
NTES
FUNCTIONAR
IES
DISTRIBUIDO
RES
NARCOMENUDI
STAS
PRODUCTO
RES
SICARI
OS
HALC
N
BANDAS
/CHAVO
S/PORR
OS
HALC
N
POLICIA
/SEDEN
A/PGR/
ESTATA
LES/MU
NIS
FUNCTIONARIO
S DE ALTO
MANDO
TRANSNACI
ONAL LINK
Prepared by J. Creechan: Contents copyright of Reforma Newspapers
INSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY AND DIVISION OF
LABOUR IN CARTELS?
Saviano the important link
Emphasis
Growing popularity of business model of cartels
Eg. TED talk by Rodrigo Canales may be the best framework of
this model
Fills in gaps in other explanatory frameworks
continues to promote the theme of powerful all -wise and all-
controlling capo
Italian Mafia framework organized crime model
Terrorism-crime nexus described by Bunker is not much different
Limitations locked into neo-liberal explanations of
crime as bad for business and for the economy. Rogue
corporations
Over rationalization and over-identification of the
criminal gang structure
Does not identify the true CEO



ALTERNATE FRAMEWORKS- BUSINESS
MODEL
Accurate
Descri pti on
Of Cartel (s)?
Structure
Organi zati on
Acti vi ty
Di versi ty
Li nkage


REALITY OF NARCO
CARTEL ACTIVITY: THE
DATA?
The Crime (Violence)
Problem
Formally
Rational
State
Data
Pattern
Gang &
Mafia
Theory
Part 2
Cri mi nal organi zati ons (DTO s)
are actual l y di f ferent components
worki ng together i n var yi ng
degrees of formal and i nformal
cooperati on
No si ngul ar model of mutual
organi zati on: DTO s empl oy
di f ferent patterns for mutual
cooperati on
DTO s and gangs do not do
ever ythi ng and al l thi ngs. Some
el ements are speci al i zed, and
other s di ver si fi ed
The scope (reach) of the pl aza
determi nes the nature of the
group and whether i t deser ves
the name car tel
The groups and thei r cri mi nal
acti vi ti es are constantl y i n fl ux

Near
Group
Gang
Mafia
STUDY OF ORGANIZED CRIME
CAUTION: IS MEANINGFUL OBSERVATION
REALLY POSSIBLE?
Individual
Ethnography,
Investigative
Journalism
Case Study
Surveys
Official Records
Mob
Investigative
Journalism,
Case Study
Commissions
Official Files?
Gang
Investigative
Journalism,
Case Study
Participant
Observation
Police Records
Cartel
MAFIA
Investigative
Journalism,
Case Study
Participant
Observation
Commissions and
Hearings
What i s the
nature of
Mexican
organi zed
cri me?

How are
Mexican
Cri me
Groups
si mi lar or
di f ferent?
Are al l
Mexican
organi zation
s truly
cartels?

TWO ADDITIONAL
QUESTIONS TO
CONSIDER
Horizontal
diffuse
comprehensive drug
shipment and production
control of Pacific,
Caribbean and
transnational routes

Hierarchical
Delineated
Whatever it takes to
meet payroll
Control of Hwy 40

Cultish-fanatical
synthetic drugs,
extortion
control of Lazaro
Cardenas
AT LEAST THREE DISTINCT CRIMINAL
GROUP TYPES IN MEXICO
Structure & Leadership
Location, Plaza, Turf
Specialization- Skill
Criminal Reach
ARGUMENT: DIMENSIONS OF DIFFERENCE
Of many Mexican
crime organizations
three are ideal types
Sinaloa/North
Pacific
Gulf-Zetas
Caballeros
Templarios
Familia Michoacan
CARTEL INFLUENCE
Corrupti on
I mpuni ty
I nequal i ty
Transparency
Justi ce Reform
Soci al -
Cohesi on
RESPONSE OF
FORMALLY RATIONAL
STATES?
The Crime (Violence)
Problem
Formally
Rational
State
Data
Pattern
Gang &
Mafia
Theory
Part 3

Although there are
fundamental
disagreements in
detail, social theories
argue that social
control and social
cohesion are most
effectively attained
when several
institutions
cooperatively work to
produce both informal
and informal control
E.G. Durkheim, Max
Weber, John Rawls etc.

MEXICO EMPHASIS ON MECHANICAL AND
PUNITIVE SANCTIONS?

Trapped i n narrow sancti on
mode
John Bailey explores Mexicos
"security trapwhere the dynamics
of crime, violence, and corruption
conspire to override efforts to put the
country on a path toward democratic
governance.
What ki nd of democracy wi l l
emerge i n Mexi co when the
current l evel s of vi ol ence are
brought under control ?
Will democratic reformers gain
strength in the new equilibrium
between government and
criminal organizations?
Or will corruption tilt the
balance toward criminal
interests? In the context of
these questions,

THE SECURITY TRAP
Worl d Just i ce Repor t ranks a
count r y s st rengt h accordi ng to rul e
of l aw, qual i t y of governance, and
cri mi nal j ust i ce system based on
sur veys of percept i on and
experi ences admi ni stered to over
100, 000 househol ds i n t hree ci t i es
per count r y.
Ni ne f actor s:
constraints on government
power
absence of corruption
order and security
fundamental rights
open government
regulatory enforcement
civil justice
criminal justice
informal justice.
DATAP MEXICOS INSTITUTIONAL
INCAPACITY TO PROTECT AND PROVIDE
TOTAL JUSTICE
INSTITUTIONAL & SECURITY NEXUSES*
Transnational
Criminal
Linkages
US Drug Policy
Global Markets
For Marijuana,
Cocaine
Heroin
Synthetics
* Plural of nexus . Latin suggests it should be Nexae
Globalized Context of
Governance, Crime
Control and
Security