Exploring the Role of Fishing Vessels as Drug Suppliers from Latin America Into the United States

• In Event: Poster Session I

Abstract

Drug trafficking from Latin America into the United States has been a serious problem for several decades, escalating in the 1980s and 90s, and continuing to occupy the policy, enforcement, and national security agendas since then. While the mechanisms of drug trafficking are well understood, little is known about the role of fishing vessels in trafficking drugs from Latin America into the United States. Using the crime science theoretical lens and US Coast Guard data on 364 intercepted fishing vessels during 2015-2020, this research sheds light on the types of vessels involved, flag states (and whether these vessels use flags of convenience), types of drugs involved, the amount of drugs seized, and the shipping routes used. Based on these findings, this research proposes data-driven policy recommendations to better monitor and prevent the entry of drugs from Latin America into the United States through the use of fishing vessels.

Authors

• Ho-Tu Chiang, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Noah Cohen, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / CUNY Graduate Center

• Sumita Das, John Jay College of Criminal Justice / Montclair State University

• Monique Sosnowski, John Jay College of Criminal Justice

• Gohar Petrossian, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY