Is the Sinaloa Cartel a Mafia?

Aiming to reduce the conceptual ambiguity surrounding the topic of organized crime, this study assesses the extent to which the Sinaloa Cartel, the most prominent Mexican drug syndicate, has the characteristics of a mafia. The study uses Paoli’s 2020 mafia framework, which identifies seven typifying...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Paoli, Letizia (Author)
Contributors: Peters, Bryan ; Reuter, Peter
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
Published: 2024
In: The British journal of criminology
Year: 2024, Volume: 64, Issue: 1, Pages: 157-174
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Keywords:
Drug trafficking
Organized crime
Sinaloa Cartel
criminal organizations
mafia
Description
Summary:Aiming to reduce the conceptual ambiguity surrounding the topic of organized crime, this study assesses the extent to which the Sinaloa Cartel, the most prominent Mexican drug syndicate, has the characteristics of a mafia. The study uses Paoli’s 2020 mafia framework, which identifies seven typifying characteristics of mafias, such as the Sicilian Cosa Nostra or the Japanese Yakuza. It relies on a broad review of the literature, court transcripts and media sources. The Sinaloa Cartel fully meets none of the seven typifying traits of mafias. It comes closest on the last trait, popular legitimacy and power-sharing, but it is properly characterized as a large drug-selling enterprise. Lastly, the study draws (sombre) policy implications from the analysis.
Item Description:Literaturverzeichnis: Seite 171-174
ISSN:1464-3529
DOI:10.1093/bjc/azad004