The Use of Social Media by Alleged Members of Mexican Cartels and Affiliated Drug Trafficking Organizations

Nix Justin, Smith Michael R. (), Petrocelli Matthew, Rojek Jeff and Manjarrez Victor M.
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Nix Justin: University of Louisville – Criminal Justice, Louisville, KY, United States of America
Smith Michael R.: The University of Texas at El Paso – Center for Law and Human Behavior, Prospect Hall 224 500 W. University, Avenue, El Paso, TX 79968, United States of America, michael.robert.smith409@utep.edu
Petrocelli Matthew: Southern Illinois University Edwardsville – Criminal Justice, Edwardsville, IL, United States of America
Rojek Jeff: The University of Texas at El Paso – Criminal Justice, El Paso, TX, United States of America
Manjarrez Victor M.: The University of Texas at El Paso – Center for Law and Human Behavior, 500 W. University Avenue Prospect Hall Room 222A, El Paso, TX 79968, United States of America

Journal of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, 2016, vol. 13, issue 3, 395-418

Abstract: Focusing on Mexican cartels and affiliated drug trafficking organizations, this article examines how self-proclaimed cartel members use social media to further the criminal activities of their organizations. Employing an open-source, intelligence-driven methodology, the authors identified, followed, and mapped the connections between and among 75 alleged cartel members over a period of 4 months. Results indicated that cartel members actively use Facebook to plan, organize, and communicate in real-time. These findings provide tentative validation to the utility of using open-source social media platforms to study the social structure and operations of Mexican drug cartels. Implications for law enforcement, homeland security, and the intelligence enterprise are discussed.

Keywords: drug trafficking organizations; Facebook; Mexican cartels; social media (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1515/jhsem-2015-0084

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