Abstract
Most book-length evaluations of organized crime are limited in their focus. Typically, they evaluate a specific country or, perhaps, two and only a single type of crime such as drug trafficking, human smuggling, or money laundering. These examinations seldom assess and compare multiple types of crime, the various law enforcement strategies aimed to combat those crimes, and how organized criminal groups exist across large but related geographical spaces like Latin America. Consequently, those new to the topic must read through large bibliographies to acquire an understanding of the diverse, and often interrelated, issues at hand.
In his book, Transnational Organized Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean, R. Evan Ellis, a research professor of Latin American studies at the U.S. Army War College and member of the U.S. State Department’s Policy Planning staff, provides an introduction to organized crime in Latin America and—to a lesser extent—the Caribbean, areas of great strategic and economic importance to the United States. Ellis presents straightforward, concise accounts of the journalistic and academic records, regarding organized crime and responses to it, vis-à-vis many of the countries in the region. While each country does not have the same degree of description and analysis throughout the chapters—primarily because there are fewer published studies on many of the smaller countries and their concerns—Ellis’s book is a helpful primer to scholars, journalists, or policy makers new to the subject.
Chapter 1 introduces the concept of transnational organized crime and shows the reader that it encompasses more than the headline-grabbing activities of drug dealers and human traffickers; it includes, inter alia, weapons trafficking, human smuggling, illicit mining, and money laundering. Chapter 2 focuses on the geography of transnational organized crime in the region. While it is a pity that the book does not have maps—reading it with a map of the region at hand would be helpful, Ellis describes how geography influences which crimes are committed and by whom, and how those crimes bridge actors across international borders. Moreover, in reference to crimes that produce products, such as illicit drugs or illicitly harvested resources, the chapter briefly discusses the impact these crimes have on the countries that produce the products, the countries that are conduits of the products, and the countries that consume the products.
Chapter 3 surveys various types of transnational organized crime groups, disaggregating them in terms of size and purpose. Ellis classifies organized criminal groups as “cartels,” “intermediary groups,” “ideologically oriented groups,” and “gangs,” differentiating the groups based on their scope of activity and purpose. This overview presents three truths. First, organized crime comes in many forms, the most damaging of which challenge the control of the state. Second, most actors engaging in organized crime tend to specialize in a small number of specific tasks over a restricted geographic space. Third, policy makers and law enforcement must work in tandem to develop specific approaches to confront local contexts. To that end, Chapter 4 explores various technical and political solutions enacted across the region to combat organized crime and its perpetrators. This discussion, importantly, highlights the differences between law enforcement- and military-led interventions and their political ramifications, given the fraught history of the military in much of Latin America. However, this discussion is not in-depth, and contemporary, political realities and tensions within and between countries are not considered.
Chapter 5, aimed at policy makers both in the United States and in the region, outlines strategies to better confront organized crime in Latin America and the Caribbean. In some respects, this discussion has aged badly as the Trump administration has seen the State Department’s international influence weaken. Ellis rightly notes that responses to organized crime require international cooperation. He argues that the United States should be an active investor in the well-being of Latin America, working with governments to help them pursue not only American interests but also ends they see fit. However, this chapter fails to consider Latin America’s political realities, particularly its history of political instability that continues into the present.
In terms of presentation, the book does have some frustrating elements. Occasionally, the reader needs to look beyond the pages offered to gain a clearer picture. For example, the presentation of historical figures and actions is not consistently accompanied by dates that clearly indicate when the actions discussed unfolded. Another issue is that the author switches, unexplainably, between the English and Spanish or Portuguese names of some groups (e.g. the Shining Path and Sendero Luminoso or the Red Command and Comando Vermelho), without telling the reader that these terms refer to the same organization, thereby making the work less accessible to an audience that is new to the material. Additionally, the book lacks the original terms of policies, acronyms, and organizations presented in their entirety in their original language.
Finally, this book is not comprehensive—an effort to be so would require an encyclopedia—so having clear indications of where to look for additional information, as this book ages, would be useful for readers who wish to update their knowledge. Nonetheless, this book makes three important contributions. First, it provides clear frameworks to understanding how organized crime and enforcement fit together in a transnational context. Second, it shows how transnational organized crime must not be reduced to the drug trade in the public or political discourse. Third, and most importantly, it sheds light on criminogenic issues in places that are seldomly discussed. By including several of the smaller countries in the region, the reader begins to understand the financial difficulties smaller states face in undertaking activities that bigger countries, like the United States, take for granted. Ellis’s work clearly shows that effective solutions must be financially viable, and, to be so, some solutions necessarily require cooperation among foreign partners.
