"Redefining Terrorism: Why Mexican Drug Trafficking is More than Just Organized Crime."

Here is an excerpt from my and my husband's article in Henley-Putnam University's Journal of Strategic Security:

"Mexican drug traffickers are more than criminals. They are terrorists. And that’s not hyperbole. The tactics, strategy, organization, and even (to a limited extent) the goals of the Mexican drug cartels are all perfectly consistent with those of recognized terrorist organizations. Admittedly, the cartels lack the motivating political or religious ideology most terrorist groups display, and some argue this precludes the application of the “terrorist” label. However, we will show this objection is inclusive at best. Were the United States government to formally recognize the Mexican cartels as the terrorists they are—or at least hybrid organizations that employ terrorist tactics — a more effective range of options would become available for combating the cartels and curtailing the violence that today engulfs the US/Mexico borderlands."

I won't provide an analysis on my own article because (a) the article itself is an analysis, and (b) that's just silly...it's up to the reader to decide if our analysis makes sense, and if it's time to redefine the problem in Mexico in order to combat it more effectively. You can download the journal here to access the full article.