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The Global Observatory of Transnational Criminal Networks

Introduction to
Firearms
Trafficking

No. 15

Eduardo Salcedo-Albarán
Diana Santos
(Authors and Researchers)

Luis Jorge Garay Salamanca

(Scientific Director)

1
This research was elaborated through protocols and technologies developed by
Vortex Foundation
(http://www.scivortex.org).

Fusion supported this research as preparation for the series “The Traffickers”
(http://thetraffickers.com).

2
The Global Observatory of Transnational Criminal Networks - Research Paper No. 15.
VORTEX Working Papers No. 29

Introduction to Firearms Trafficking

© Eduardo Salcedo-Albarán, 2017

© Diana Santos, 2017

Scientific Director
Luis Jorge Garay

Text, audio and video included in this publication are protected by copyright laws.
Reproduction is permitted if the author and the editor are referenced and quoted.

Opinions and ideas expressed by the authors do not compromise or reflect the opinions of
Fusion Media Group or Vortex Foundation.
© Vortex Foundation, 2017. Copyright.
First edition, 2017.
Electronic Edition, Bogotá, Colombia

3
 Disclaimer

The facts and the analysis presented herein are sustained in documents and interviews
exposed in mass media and judicial records related to the criminal networks analyzed. No
primary information uncovering facts has been gathered, which means that only secondary
sources were consulted, from legal to media documents. In the case of the names mentioned,

quoted or referenced on indictments —with the exception of those specifically mentioned,

quoted or referenced in the text as definitively condemned-, the presumption of innocence, in

observance of individual rights is always preserved.

The judicial truth is the jurisdiction of the courts, which by law will decide whether the
defendants are innocent or guilty.1 It is stated that belonging to, participating in, being
connected to, or appearing on a network, as analyzed herein, does not imply having committed
a criminal act or being engaged in a criminal enterprise. It is always possible to belong,
participate, be connected, or appear on a network as an agent promoting interests that are
socially and institutionally beneficial, or as a result of coercion, among other reasons unrelated
to criminal acts committed by the agent.

4
Table of Contents

Introduction ........................................................................................................................ 6

1. Background of countries involved in Firearms Trafficking ........................................... 7

Arms providers ................................................................................................................ 7
United States ............................................................................................................... 8
Russia ....................................................................................................................... 11
China ........................................................................................................................ 12
Western Europe ......................................................................................................... 13

Arms Purchasers ........................................................................................................... 13

Africa ......................................................................................................................... 14
Middle East ............................................................................................................... 16
Latin America............................................................................................................. 17
Conclusions ...................................................................................................................... 19

5
Introduction

Trafficking firearms involves the manufacture and illegal distribution of firearms, their
components and ammunition. The firearms that are usually most trafficked are: (i) Small
arms (revolvers and self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns, assault
rifles, and light machine guns) and (ii) light weapons (heavy machine guns, grenade
launchers, portable anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, recoilless rifles, portable anti-tank
missile and rocket launchers, portable anti-aircraft missile launchers, and mortars of less
than 100 mm caliber).1

According to a brief elaborated by the Council on Foreign Relations of United States a 2012
issues, the financial value of the illegal trafficking of small arms and light weapons is worth
$1 Billion per year, higher than the value reported in 2010 by the United Nations Office on
Drugs and Crime, which estimated a value of this criminal market between $170 Million and
$320 Million.2

The international trend of illegal trade of firearms usually goes from developed countries that
manufacture and sell the guns, to purchasers in developing countries, especially in countries
with high demand of guns due to civil and domestic conflicts or small wars. In those
countries, the guns are also resold and smuggled, usually to neighbor territories.

Bearing this in mind, the aim of this paper is to introduce the main characteristics of this
illegal activity, related to the social, economic and politic background of the countries or
regions involved. The document conveys information about (i) general background
characteristics of some of the most involved countries or regions and (ii) relevant data about
firearms trafficking in those territories.

1 The Small Arms Survey (2015) Available in: https://goo.gl/bgWjJQ

2Transnational Crime Intelligence (2014) Value of Trafficking in Small Arms and Light Weapons. Available in:
https://goo.gl/8dlwef

6
 1. Background of countries involved in Firearms
Trafficking

Currently, trafficking of arms occurs almost in every region of the world; however, this
trafficking is usually focused in areas affected by intense domestic conflicts, violence or
presence of organized crime and criminal networks, where the demand for illicit weapons is
higher.3 As a result, most of the sales (almost 75%) are targeted to developing countries
located in (i) Africa, mainly Libya, Sudan and South Africa, (ii) Middle East, mainly Saudi
Arabia and Syria, and (iii) Latin America, mainly Central America.4

The 5 permanent members of the UN Security Council (US, Russia, France, United Kingdom
and China), together with Germany and Italy, account for around 85% of the arms sold
between 2004 and 2011, a trend that currently remains stable. The high participation of
these countries is relevant because while trafficking of arms has been usually conducted by
private entities or actors, these governments contribute to boost the criminal market by
arming paramilitary groups involved in insurgencies against rival governments, often
conducted in contravention of United Nations arms embargoes.5

Arms providers

The countries with an important participation in the legitimate arms market are also, usually,
the producers and therefore providers of trafficked guns. Specifically, between 2011 and
2014, United States and Russia dominated the arms market in developing nations, with both
countries leading the ranking on the value of arms transfer agreements. China and some
countries in West Europe, such as France, United Kingdom, Italy and Germany, have also
participated arming subversive or paramilitary groups developing nations (Figure 1).6

3 The Small Arms Survey (2013) Every Day Dangers. Available in: https://goo.gl/mkqTzD
4 Global Issues (2013) The Arms Trade is a Big Business. Available in: https://goo.gl/q3E0er
5 Small Arms Survey. Illicit Traffic, Available in: https://goo.gl/LcZmrp
6 Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.

Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://goo.gl/gbl5ZT

7
As a result, the main producers and distributors of guns worldwide, have in common that
are developed nations, with leading economies7, a very high human development8, and a
high level of income9.

Figure 1. Arms Sales, by Supplier, 2004-2011 (in billions of constant 2011 US dollars)

Others; 5%

European; 10%

Italy; 3%

Germany ; 4%
United States;
44%
China ; 4%

United Kingdom;
5%

France; 8%

Russia ; 17%

Source: Review of Richard F. Grimmett (2012) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2004-
2011. Available in: https://goo.gl/kfFjqM

United States

Unites States currently leads the expenditure of weapons worldwide, in fact, according to
the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, among the top 20 global weapon
dealers, 16 are U.S. corporations, including: (1) Lockheed Martin, (2) Boening, (3)
Northrop Grumman, (4) General Dynamics and (5) Raytheon.10

7 GDP 2015: United States (17,42 trillion); Germany (3,868 trillion); United Kingdom 2,989 trillion); France (USD
2,829 trillion); Italy (2,141 trillion); Russia (1,861 trillion) Available in: https://goo.gl/y2GEQ0
8 Human Development Index: United States (0,914); Germany (9,11); United Kingdom 0.892); France (0.884);

Italy (0.872); Russia (0.874). In: http://hdr.undp.org/en/countries

9 High Income: United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Russian Federation, France, Germany and Italy.
Available in: http://data.worldbank.org/country/
10 American Free Press (2012) Inside the Murky World of International Arms Smuggling. In:

https://goo.gl/RwGTAC

8
In 2014, The United Sates ranked first in arms transfer agreements with developing nations,
with a participation of $29.8 billion or 48.2% of these agreements. Between 2007 and 2014,
the highest purchase orders in firearms happened in the Near East (58.2% of arm transfer
agreements) and Asia (32,2% of arm transfer agreements) (Figure 2- 3).11

Figure 2. Arms Transfer Agreements with Developing Nations in the Near East (2004-2011)

All Others
8%

Major Western
European
26%

United States
53%

China
4%

Russia
9%

Source: Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.
Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://goo.gl/aJnV3D

11Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.

Congressional Research Service. In: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R44320.pdf

9
 Figure 3. Arms Transfer Agreements with Developing Nations in the Near East (2011-2014)

All Others
21% United States
25%

Major Western
European
16%

China Russia
7% 31%

Source: Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.
Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://goo.gl/aJnV3D

Figure 4. Arms Transfer Agreements with Developing Nations in Asia (2004-2011)

All Others
United States
21%
25%

China
7%

Major Western
European
16%

Russia
31%

Source: Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.
Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://goo.gl/aJnV3D

10
 Figure 5. Arms Transfer Agreements with Developing Nations in Asia (2007-2014)

All Others
17%

United States
33%
China
7%

Russia
25%
Major Western
European
18%

Source: Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.
Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://goo.gl/naA1GG

Regarding the involvement of United States in gun trafficking worldwide, in 2012 a study
found out that almost 70% of firearms recovered in Mexico between 2007 and 2012 were
traced to the US. Most of these firearms were not manufactured in the United States;
however, loose state gun and ammunition control laws in the southern states happened to
favor the gun smuggling towards Mexico.12

Russia

Russia is the second source of armament worldwide. Between 2007 and 2014 Russia made
$41.7 billion in arms trade agreements. Also, in 2014 this country ranked first in the value of
arms delivered to developing nations, with $8.4 billion or 40.8% of such deliveries. Also in
2014, Russian arms agreements with developing nations included two Kilo submarines
valued on $1.2 billion and around 200 T-90 battle tanks for approximately a value of $1
billion with Algeria, S-400 air defense systems totaling nearly $3 billion with China, and anti-
tank shells valued on $432 million with India.

12Topher McDougal, David A. Shirk, Robert Muggah and Jhon H Patterson. (2013) The Way of the Gun:
Estimating Firearms Traffic Across the U.S. - Mexico Border. Available in: https://goo.gl/9T930L

11
The capture of Viktor Bout in April 2002, the single biggest private arms trader in the world,
pointed out the involvement of Russia in firearms trafficking. This Russian citizen established
his business after the collapse of Soviet Union, he purchased a fleet of Soviet military aircraft
including Antonov and Ilyushin cargo planes as surplus of the Cold War and employed
them in operations to deliver firearms to various combatants in Africa, and anti-Taliban
forces in Afghanistan during the 1990s.

According to United Nation documents, in exchange for illicit diamonds, Viktor Bout supplied
weapons to Liberian President Charles Taylor to destabilize Sierra Leone. Also Viktor Bout
supplied arms to both sides in the Angolan civil war and delivered weapons to various
warlords across Central and North Africa. Operating through Eastern Europe, Bout
transported weapons through Bulgaria, Moldova and Ukraine to Liberia and Angola until he
got arrested in 2002.13

China

From 2011 to 2014, the value of China’s arms transfer agreements with developing nations
was approximately of $3 billion annually. In 2014, the total of China’s arms agreements had
a value of $2.2 billion. Most of these agreements can be partially attributed to continuing
contracts with Pakistan, a key historic client. Rather than large agreement for major
weapons, China had several smaller valued weapons deals in Asia, Africa, and the Near
East. This situation is related to the lower level of sophistication of Chinese weapons, in
contrast to those weapons produced in Russia or United States.

Regarding the involvement of firearms trafficking, in 2014 it was discovered the case of a
mining magnate committing mafia-style crimes, including gunrunning, with the support of
corrupt officials who worked for the state. Liu Han, the magnate, and his younger brother
Liu Yong were related to an investigation for murder, assault, illegal detention, interference
in state functions, affray, extortion, gambling, illegally buying and selling guns, illegal gun
ownership and fraud.14
In 2015, an organized firearm gang of 24 suspects was dismantled in China’s Hubei
Province. The suspects were accused of manufacturing, selling (primary online) and

13 Jonathan Grant (2012) “Merchants of Death: The International Traffic in Arms” In: Origins, vol. 6, issue 3.
Available in: https://goo.gl/0IwFSr
14 Reuters (2014) Update 1- China charges former mining magnate with murder, gun-running. Available in:

https://goo.gl/3kAeex

12
possessing guns without license. In the process, 23 guns, 70 rifle bullets, 135 hunting gun
bullets, 10,000 buck shots and 1,000 pieces of gun- manufacturing components were
seized.15

Western Europe

France, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Italy—the four main West European arms
suppliers—have supplied a wide variety of sophisticated weapons to a number of
purchasers. The four suppliers, as a group, registered a significant decrease in their
collective share of their arms transfer agreements with developing nations between 2013
and 2014. This group fell from 25.4% in 2013 to 9.5% in 2014 of arm trades agreements. Of
these four nations, France was the leading supplier with $4.3 billion in agreements in 2014.
Italy, meanwhile registered $800 million in arms agreements in 2014. All of them can
produce both advanced and basic air, ground, and naval weapons systems.16

Although these nations have strong laws and regulations to confront gunrunning, the terrorist
attacks in France, 2015, evidenced a gun trafficking ring operating in West Europe.
Investigations carried out by the Europol and the French police suggest that weapons flow
from Russia via the Balkan states into the rest of Europe. Also, according to Europol, many
weapons trafficked in West Europe come from the western Balkans after being held illegally
after armed conflicts in the region.17

Arms Purchasers

According to a United States Congress study, developing nations continue to be the primary
target of foreign arms sales activity by weapons suppliers. Between 2007 and 2010, the
value of arms transfer agreements with developing countries comprised 74.4% worldwide

15 India Today (2015) “Online gun running gang busted in China; 24 held”. Available in: https://goo.gl/zAVSXi
16 Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.
Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/weapons/R44320.pdf
17 The Daily Basis (2015) “This is How AK-47s Get to Paris”. Available in: https://goo.gl/0NBsGn

13
(Figure 4). Between 2011 and 2014, the percentage increased to 75.5% of all these
agreements globally and in 2014 it reached 86.0%.18

As previously stated, trafficking of fire arms is a significant issue in Africa (mainly in Libya,
Sudan and South Sudan), Middle East (mainly Syria), and Latin America (mainly Central
America). These regions and countries where the traffic of firearms takes place share the
common characteristic of experiencing high levels of unemployment and poverty19, medium
of low human development level20, income inequality21 and systemic corruption. Also, these
territories are or recently were involved in armed conflicts, and usually have a strong
presence of gangs and organized crime that demand guns to perform criminal activities.

Figure 6. Global arms sales, by recipients, 2004-2011 (Billions USD)

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Source: Review of Richard F. Grimmett (2012) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2004-
2011. Available in: https://goo.gl/FwdWYy

Africa

18Catherine A. Theohary (2015) Conventional Arms Transfers to Developing Nations, 2007-2014.

Congressional Research Service. Available in: https://goo.gl/63Dz99
19
Unemployment rate 2011-2015: Libya (19.2%), Sudan (14,8%), South Sudan (-), Syria (10.8%), México
(4.9%), El Salvador (6.2), Nicaragua (5.3%), Honduras (3.9), Colombia (10.1). Available in:
https://goo.gl/wC7Xn0
20 HDI 2015: Libya (0.724) Sudan (0,479), South Sudan (0.467), Syria (0.598) México (0.756) El Salvador
(0.666), Nicaragua (0.631) Honduras (0.606), Colombia (0.720). Available in: https://goo.gl/Wh8fhi
21 Gini Index: Libya (-) Sudan (-), South Sudan (-), Syria (-) México (48.1) El Salvador (43.5), Nicaragua (-)

Honduras (53.7), Colombia (53.5). Available in: https://goo.gl/QwdCIX

14
The political and economic instability of African Countries related to forming states and
democracies, as well as the persistent inequality in land property and income, the intense
corruption and a low level of human development, among other local situations, have fueled
the emergence of armed conflicts across the continent.22 Before 2012, due to intense
situations of violence, Mali, Somalia and South Africa were the main hotspots for firearms
trafficking, while now the focus of this criminal activity turned to Libya and Sudan.

Libya

According to The United Nations, Libya is the epicenter of the illegal weapons trade including
MANPADs [portable air defense systems], which fuels conflicts in at least 14 countries
worldwide. According to The panel of experts of The UN, the main obstacles to contain the
proliferation of illicit weapons are the difficulty of controlling non-state armed actors over the
majority of stockpiles in Libya (currently three ports in the country are controlled by rebel
groups) as well as ineffective border control systems.
As a consequence of the inability to secure its borders, Libya has let weapons to be handed
to radical groups, fueling the conflict, terrorism and insecurity in almost every continent.23

Sudan and South Sudan

According to The Guardian, Sudan and South Sudan are some of the most heavily armed
countries in the world. Sudan, in fact, is known as the “Africa’s arms dump” due to the high
number of arms related to the armed conflict between government forces, paramilitaries,
rebels, militia, foreign fighters, bandits as well as inter- and intra-communal warfare. Global
arms trade and smuggling from neighboring states is one of the issues intensifying the
situation of violence in Sudan.

In South Sudan, for instance, ownership of guns and small arms has increased during its
three years as an independent nation. Arms and ammunition are openly available in local
markets across the country, at very affordable (around US$1 per cartridge). The increase in
gun ownership is partly due to the number of rebel and militia groups that have recently
emerged.

22 Small Arms Survey (2013) Survival at Stake: Violent land conflict in Africa. Available in: https://goo.gl/J1BjgK
23 RT (2014) Libya is epicenter of illicit arms trade –UN Available in: https://goo.gl/eUYaZe

15
The spread of firearms in Sudan and the trade of illegal weapons are related to Liberation
movements, especially those in neighboring countries. For many years’ liberation
movements and valley people of the Turkana of Kenya, the Dodoth of Uganda and the
Toposa of South Sudan, have traded arms across the three countries’ borders.

According to Jonah Leff, Director of Operations at Conflict Armament Research, most of the
traded arms in Sudan and South Sudan are small guns such as AK-type assault rifles. PKM
machine guns and RPGs are also available, but in much smaller quantities. Even so,
German HK G3 rifles sometimes cross the border from Ethiopia and Kenya.”24

Middle East

Conflict areas in the Middle East, and especially the strong and increasing presence of
extremist groups during the last decade, have fueled the firearms trafficking in the region.
However, although radical groups are the ones performing trading weapons illegally, there
is evidence of the involvement of Departments of Security of countries with economic or
political interest in the region.

For instance, it was recently uncovered that in 2012 the State Department of the United
States moved guns off the radar from Libya (Benghazi Port) through Turkey to Syria, to
support Islamic revolutionary groups there.25 In fact, corporate media reports that ISIS in
Iraq received many of its weapons due to the Iraqi retreat from Mosul. ISIS, however, already
had plenty of weapons before the takeover, mostly from the United States.

Jamal Maarouf, leader of the Syrian Revolutionary Front (SRF), claimed that the U.S.
provided weapons to them. Also, al-Nusra (al-Qaeda-linked group) and other terrorist groups
in Syria have received weapons indirectly from the SRF. Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader
of ISIS, helped in the creation of al-Nusra, so when the group was dissolved, its members
integrated to ISIS, which means that pre-ISIS members have indirectly received weapons

from United States.26

24 Charlton Doki & Adam Mohamed Ahmad (2014) ‘Africa’s arms dump’: following the trail of bullets in the
Sudans. In The Guardian. Available in: https://goo.gl/0Hz4XJ
25 The federalist papers (2016) Bombshell: US was smuggling guns to Syria through Benghazi consulate.

Available in: https://goo.gl/X8d8X0

26 Kurt Nimno (2014) Isis and the plan to Balkanize the Middle East. Infowars: https://goo.gl/VjwMhD

16
Latin America

The high demand of weapons in Latin America is related to organized crime activity,
especially to drug trafficking. Mexico is currently one of the countries with an increasing
number of illegal weapons seized in the border with United States. According to the Mexican
annual report elaborated by the Attorney General Office27, 60% of all confiscated weapons
in Mexico are mainly seized in the states of Tamaulipas, Guerrero, and Jalisco, with 7 out
of 10 weapons confiscated coming from the United States.

According to the Small Arms Survey Report, 2013, the illicit trade in firearms in Mexico’s
border with United States is likely to be at least 100–200 units per day, or 35,000–70,000
units each year. These weapons usually end up in the hands of drug trafficking organizations
members who are willing to purchase powerful weapons, such as .223 and 7.62 × 39 mm
caliber rifles, 5.7 × 28 caliber rifles and pistols, and .50 caliber rifles’.

From January 2009 to July 2011, 75 per cent of firearms reportedly bound for Mexico and
seized at the US border were rifles, shotguns, and machine guns. The ratio of handguns to
other firearms seized at the border is also similar to the ratio of handguns seized in Mexico,
accounting for 24 per cent of seized firearms (vs. 28 per cent for firearms seized in Mexico.).
This could indicate the suspicions that United States is one of the main sources of weapons
smuggled in Mexico. 28

Among the seized weapons, fragmentation grenades, rockets, and anti-personnel mines
were also found. Convictions include members of criminal networks such as Sinaloa Cartel,
Los Rojos, The Jalisco Cartel - New Generation (CJNG), Los Zetas, The Pacific Cartel,
and the Knights Templar29, among others.

Due to Gangs activity, Nicaragua, Honduras and El Salvador also report a relevant presence
of trafficked firearms and ammunitions. The illegal trade of guns in this region is strongly
related to systemic corruption of state officers and law enforcers. For instance, in September

27 Procuraduría General de la República, PGR.

28 Small Arms Survey (2013) Chapter 12: Captured and Counted: Illicit Weapons in Mexico and The
Philippines. Available in: https://goo.gl/HqGa9X
29 This network emerged after the “Familia Michoacana” restructuration.

17
2015, a former coronel, Roberto Pineda Guerra, was arrested for running a stockpile of
weapons in El Salvador.30

In Colombia, the traffic of firearms is specially related to the armed conflict subversive and
paramilitary forces, as well as criminal gangs. In the case of the FARC guerrilla (Fuerzas
Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia), there is evidence that weapons were mainly traded
from United States and Eastern Europe, and smuggled through Venezuela and Brazil.31

30 Elijah Stevens (2015) “El Salvador: ExMilitary Official Arrested for Arms Trafficking Insigth Crime, Available
in: https://goo.gl/v9Vq7r
31 Infodefensa (2009) Colombia ha solicitado a 27 países informar sobre armas decomisadas a las FARC.

Available in: https://goo.gl/RCaUQx

18
Conclusions
• Firearms trafficking, or gunrunning occurs almost in every region of the world, but is
focused specially in war zones or territories affected by high levels of violence and
organized crime activities.
• The flow trend of firearms trafficking occurs mainly from developed countries to
developing countries. The main suppliers of weapons are, in order, the United
States, Russia, China, France Italy and Germany. The main receivers of illegal
weapon trade are developing nations, especially in Africa, Middle East and Latin
America.
• The smuggling of weapons in conflict zones has destabilized several regions, and
currently boosts the rise of extremist groups and, therefore, global insecurity. The
main effects in terms of violence and political instability are observed in Africa, where
efforts to consolidate democracy are constantly undermined by intense corruption,
criminal activity and flows of trafficked firearms.
• The border between the United States and Mexico is the main hotspot for firearms
trafficking in the Western Hemisphere. The fact that the proportion of handguns vs.
firearms seized in the border is similar to the proportion seized inside Mexico,
indicates that there is a constant trafficking flow across the border, feeding the fire
capacity demands of Mexican criminal networks. The convergence of (i) a legal gun
market across the United States, (ii) intense drug trafficking activity, and (iii) complex
criminal networks operating across Mexico, make the US-Mexico border and “hyper-
border”32 with several trafficking flows that include movement of humans (specially
migrants), money, arms, drugs and hydrocarbons.
• While most of illegal gun suppliers are private actors and entities, evidence suggests
that the involvement of governments, deliberatively arming groups of nations in
conflict, intensifies the global trafficking and destabilization of several countries.

32Sullivan, John (2013). “Cross-Border Connections: Criminal Inter-Penetration at the US-Mexico

Hyperborder”. Vortex Working Papers: https://goo.gl/ONML6Z

19
 About the Authors
Eduardo Salcedo-Albarán

Philosopher and MsC in Political Science. Founder and CEO at Vortex Foundation.
Eduardo has researched in the areas of organized crime, kidnapping, corruption, drug-
trafficking and State Capture. As partner, advisor or consultant, he currently researches
on the structure and impact of Transnational Criminal Networks with scholars, institutes
and Universities in North, Central and South America, Europe and Africa.

Diana Santos
Sociologist from the Universidad del Rosario (Bogotá, Colombia). Currently assisting
projects at Vortex Foundation and The Global Observatory of Transnational Criminal
Networks, especially modeling transnational criminal networks, and writing research
papers. Interested in: Interdisciplinary studies and visual communication of knowledge.

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