Examining the Relationship between Population Differences, Network Location, and Drug Related Murders

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Mexican drug cartels have become a burgeoning topic of interest not only in Mexico, but also in the United States. The economic, physical, and social health of the American society has been as affected by the abuse, as it has been by the trafficking of illicit drugs. In 2010, experts from the National Drug Intelligence Center announced that Mexican drug trafficking organizations “constitute the greatest drug trafficking threat to the United States.” A key component to properly addressing drug-related crime involves the analysis of where and under what circumstances these crimes occur. Effective policy and responses depend on knowledge on geographical patterns of drug markets and the effect of policy initiatives on those patterns. By analyzing the geographical location of cartel-related homicides in Mexico, the present study seeks to assist policy makers and law enforcement in developing strategies to disrupt and interdict current drug markets.

Authors

• Rocio Alejandra Roles, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• Stacy Moak, University of Arkansas at Little Rock

• Marc D. Glidden, University of Arkansas at Little Rock