Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling: Lessons from the Inside

by Scott H. Decker, Margaret Townsend Chapman

Overview

Drug Smugglers on Drug Smuggling examines the organizational structures of drug smuggling from Colombia to the US.  Career drug smugglers describe a series of often disconnected networks that enable smugglers to best organize their business in a way that will minimize the risks of apprhension and maximize profits. 

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781592136438
Publisher:	Temple University Press
Publication date:	01/15/2008
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.25(h) x 0.40(d)

About the Author

Scott H. Decker is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University.  He is the author of Life in the Gang: Family, Friends and Violence.

Margaret Townsend Chapman is an Associate at Abt Associates Inc.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Motivation for the Study
    Understanding Drug Smuggling
    Impact of Drug Interdiction and Eradication Efforts
    Summary

Chapter 2. The Organization of the Study
    Study Design
    Interview Sample
    Summary

Chapter 3. Drug Smuggling Organizations
    Movement Away from Cartels
    Structure and Movement of Drugs
        Suppliers
        Brokers in Colombia
        Offices
        Transporters
        Brokers in the U.S.
        Retailers
    Summary

Chapter 4. Movement of Drugs
    Transportation Routes   
Source to Midpoint
Midpoint to United States
United States
Methods of Transport
    Private Vessel
    Commercial Vessel
    Private Plane
    Commercial Plane
    Vehicle
Summary

Chapter 5. Roles, Recruitment into, and Remaining Involved in the Drug Smuggling Trade
    Drug Smuggling Roles
        Offloaders
        Boat Captain
        Airplane Pilot
        Organizer
        U.S. Brokers and Intermediaries
    Recruitment into Drug Smuggling
        Personal Ties
        Organizational Ties
        Government Recruitment
    Motivation for Drug Smuggling
    Leaving Drug Smuggling
    Summary

Chapter 6. Balancing Risk and Reward
    Minimizing Risks
    Avoiding Detection
    Changes in Smuggling Activities in Response to Risk
    Getting Caught
    Assessing Risk
    Perceptions of U.S. Criminal Justice System
        Role of Arrest
        Role of Conviction
        Role of Imprisonment
        Role of Getting Caught
        Role of Conspiracy
    “If you Were in Charge”
    Summary

Chapter 7. Making Sense of Drug Smuggling: Conclusions and Summary
    Organizational Structure
    Managing Risk
    Potential Responses by Law Enforcement


References

Appendix1. 
    Instrumentation Study Design

Appendix 2.
    Study Design