Drug Cartels, Street Gangs, and Warlords
Document Type
Article
Department
Politics and Economics (CGU)
Publication Date
2002
Disciplines
Defense and Security Studies | Political Science | Public Affairs, Public Policy and Public Administration | Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
The nature of crime and conflict has changed and continues to evolve. The now and future war is and will be influenced by irregular combatants – non-state soldiers – that utilize technology and networked doctrine to spread their influence across traditional geographic boundaries. This era shift in political and social organization, fueled by rapid developments of technology and exploitation of network organizational forms, blurs the distinctions between crime, terrorism and warfare. The resulting transitional period – a Dark Renaissance – benefits a range of non-state actors: drugs cartels, street gangs, terrorists, and warlords. Criminal organizations appear among the first to adapt to the new operational context resulting from this shift. This paper examines the journey of street gangs, one type of transnational criminal organization – the drug cartel – and warlords through this evolution. Respectively, these entities provide direct and indirect challenges to the solvency of nation-state institutions, potentially emerging as new war-making entities.
Rights Information
© 2002 Taylor and Francis
Terms of Use & License Information
DOI
10.1080/09592310208559180
Recommended Citation
Sullivan, John P. and Bunker, Robert J. (2002). Drug cartels, street gangs, and warlords. [Special Issue: Non-State Threats and Future Wars.] Small Wars & Insurgencies, 13(2), 40-53. doi:10.1080/09592310208559180
