Drug Cartel and Gang Violence in Mexico and Central America: A Concise Introduction

"Drug Cartel and Gang Violence in Mexico and Central America: A Concise Introduction gives readers an overview of the issues associated with drugs, cartels, and gangs in Mexico and Central America. The readings are based on years of field research and interviews with regional leaders and local actors.

Drug Cartel and Gang Violence in Mexico and Central America: A Concise Introduction is organized into four topical chapters:

• The history of Mexican drug cartels and their growth within the context of one hundred years of United States drug policy.
  
  
• The central role corruption plays in facilitating drug trafficking while simultaneously debilitating the Mexican state's efforts to confront them.
  
  
• The rise of Mexican community-based crime fighting efforts as a response to the absence of formal security apparatuses.
  
  
• The changing role of Central American gangs—particularly in their relationship with Mexican drug-trafficking organizations.
  
  

Compact, yet densely packed with information and insight, Drug Cartel and Gang Violence in Mexican and Central America: A Concise Introduction can be used in courses on criminal justice, homeland security, and Latin American studies.

Robert Kirkland, Lieutenant Colonel, United States Army (retired) graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point and then earned a Ph.D. in Latin American history from the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Kirkland has served as a Latin American foreign area officer and an analyst for Mexico and Central America. Currently he is the coordinator of homeland security studies for Union Institute and University. The author of numerous journal articles, he has also appeared on the History Channel, the Biography Channel, and has been quoted as an expert on security issues by media outlets including the Associated Press and Reuters."