Crime Wars: Gangs, Cartels and U.S. National Security

Bob Killebrew and Jennifer Bernal | Center for a New American Security | 2010-09-28

This report surveys organized crime throughout the Western Hemisphere within the context of the unprecedented violence that has rocked Mexico during recent years. Drug trafficking groups have evolved to pose a threat to governments and societies across the hemisphere, according to the report, which recommends that the United States replace the "war on drugs" paradigm with comprehensive domestic and foreign policies to confront the interrelated challenges of drug trafficking and violence ranging from the Andean Ridge to American streets.