Delincuencia Juvenil: A Preliminary Analysis of Juvenile Involvement in Texas-Mexico Organized Crime

• In Event: WG Organized Crime and Criminal Networks Panel 5. Organized crime: organizational structure & violence

Abstract

Criminological studies have identified various factors contributing to juvenile delinquency, yet rural Texas-Mexico border towns remain underrepresented in research. While border crimes have garnered significant attention, underprivileged rural communities along the Texas-Mexico border, known as "colonias", often lack visibility. The recruitment of juveniles by organized crime groups in the Texas borderlands is an understudied issue, particularly in rural communities. This study examines juvenile involvement in border-related crimes across semi-rural and suburban counties, focusing on data from Webb, Zapata, Starr, and Hidalgo counties. A research design integration matrix model, also known as a design structure model (DSM), is used to describe the interrelationships among the components of the research study. A mixed-methods sequential explanatory research design was used to analyze official crime data. The sample size included 1,800 juvenile delinquency arrests for drug crime, migrant smuggling, money laundering, firearm crimes and organized crime. The qualitative data is 25 arrest reports, both collected between 2021 to June 2024. The study employs MAXQDA, an advanced computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software, for open-ended coding using a narrative inquiry approach and SPSS for binary logistic regression.

Authors

• Carlos Alvarez, Texas A&M International University

• Maria "Lupe" Garza, Texas A&M International University

• Vanessa Lynn Almaraz, Texas A&M International University