"Mexican TCOs Literally Leaving Their Mark On American Media."

Here's an excerpt from my latest article for Homeland Security Today's "Correspondents Watch":

"Not too long ago, organized crime groups in Mexico—commonly (and inaccurately) known as cartels, were referred to as drug trafficking organizations, or DTOs. In the last couple of years, US government agencies have stopped using this moniker and switched to using transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) to refer to the narcos because their portfolio of illegal activities has significantly expanded in scope and geographic area. It’s widely accepted that Mexican TCOs make most of their vast sums of money from the drug trade. But is that really the case anymore?  Some drug war observers believe it may not be. Edgardo Buscaglia, a renowned expert on organized crime in Mexico, believes as little as half of the TCOs’ profits are currently derived from drug trafficking. In the past several years, as enforcement and interdiction efforts have improved, many major TCOs have seen a drop in drug income. To cover their losses, they’ve expanded into kidnapping for ransom, human smuggling, extortion and media piracy. Bloodthirsty and heartless killers are selling bootleg copies of “Toy Story 3” on the street to make money? Believe it."

To read the rest of my article on the HSToday website, please CLICK HERE!