Cazuelas

Abstract

The mosaic of Mexican organized crime is incredibly complex, with layers of criminal elements combining with different governmental jurisdictions in a multitude of ways to achieve economies of scale and thereby maximize the efficiency of the criminal enterprise. To reduce the problem to a manageable size, one particular community is studied in depth to understand more clearly not only the dynamics of police-criminal interaction, but also to put in relief the tensions within an organized crime family and the problems that can arise from it. In addition, the recapitalization of what had been a dying community is assessed to shed light on what could be positive aspects of the drug trade. It is hoped that such a microanalysis will be useful for policing on both sides of the border, as well as for future macroeconomic research.